A Perfectly Good Heart
by Penelope Louise
Summary: Ziva is in love with Tony... Tony is in love with Ziva... Just neither of them realize the other likes them back! What can the team do to get them together?
1. Guessing

_**A/N: I decided it was time to begin a new story! If you have read Broken, do not fear! I will still continue it!**_

_**Also, welcome to any new readers!**_

_**I hope you enjoy this first chapter!**_

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Ziva glanced up from her work, looking at the man sitting opposite her. Her luscious brown hair shaded her face from the bright July sun coming in through the windows. She was staring at him, she knew. She just couldn't help it. She couldn't help but think what it would be like to be in a relationship, a proper relationship with him. Not just a fling… Something serious.

_Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?_

She wondered what it would be like to have him return her feelings… For him to be in love with her too. She sighed and he looked up. She quickly adjusted her gaze, so that her eyes were raised to the heavens.

"Something up, Zee-vah?" Tony asked, making her name last longer just to irritate her.

"I hate this type of work." Ziva said, trying to cover up what she really had been thinking about. It wasn't a lie; she rather disliked having to type up everything for cold cases, and try to fathom out little problems and errors in the evidence, that might lead to new ideas of the culprit or culprits.

"Don't we all." Tony sighed too, and stared forlornly out of the window. How he wished he was laying on a beach somewhere, the Caribbean possibly, soaking up the sun and ogling all the girls in skimpy bikinis. The idea was a very nice idea, but he couldn't help but think how much more preferable the plan would be if it included lying next to (or under) Ziva. A satisfied smirk spread across his face. He was remembering the memorable photos of Ziva in a bikini. She was HOT!

_Why would you wanna take our love and tear it all apart, now?_

"DiNozzo." Gibbs said slapping Tony across the back of the head. "Cold cases. I would say 'get to it' but I need you and Ziva."

"McGee, keep up the good work!" He added, calling across the bullpen to McGee. McGee groaned theatrically and Tony smirked.

"Ciao, McGoo!" He called, before grabbing his bag and making his way over to the lift. Gibbs hit the button.

_DING._

The doors opened to reveal a crammed lift. Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Stairs." He said, and Tony groaned.

"Do we have to?" He whined, and Ziva laughed. She knew exactly how to get him down those stairs, and fast.

"Bet I can beat you down to the bottom." She challenged, and a competitive grin spread across Tony's face.

"You're on." He said, and they both sprinted toward the stairs. Gibbs rolled his eyes and followed after the two field agents at a rather slower pace.

If only they'd get on and realize their feelings for each other, already. He thought. Ziva and Tony would probably make a good couple. He pondered the idea, and thought of discussing the idea of getting them together with Abby. Abby would love the idea, he knew.

Jenny. Her face appeared in his mind and tears welled in his eyes. He angrily blinked them away. Someone would only get hurt if Ziva and Tony dated. Tony physically probably, and Ziva mentally. He decided against taking any actions against one of his strongest rules.

"So, who won?" He asked when he arrived in the ground floor stairwell. Tony was doubled over, breathing heavily, and Ziva was observing him while leaning against the wall. A triumphant smile transformed her features.

"She did." Tony said, gesturing to the brunette beauty that he loved too much. It really was an unhealthy obsession.

_Why would you wanna make the very first scar?_

"She? The dog's mother?" Ziva said, skeptically.

"Cat." Tony corrected, standing up straight, and following after Gibbs who had walked off over to the car.

"Whatever." Ziva shot back at him and Gibbs couldn't help but chuckle at their bickering. They reminded him so much of an old married couple when they argued. It was generally a rather humorous event for anyone standing in hearing range.

Gibbs drove, while Ziva and Tony sat next to each other in the back. There was an awkward silence as neither of them wanted to start a conversation. Finally, Tony broke the silence.

"Gay baby." He said sincerely and Ziva looked at him, confused.

"What?" She asked, wondering what he was talking about.

"In every awkward silence a gay baby is born." Tony said, nodding. His lips twitched into a smile as Ziva caught on what he was saying. She punched him in the arm.

"How cruel." She said, her tone joking. Tony grinned and she smiled back at him. He realized that he was staring at her, at the same moment that she realized that she was staring into his blue-gray eyes. Tony began to lean in, and for a moment Ziva realized she was leaning forward too.

"We're here." Gibbs called out and the moment was broken. Ziva quickly turned away and opened the door before Tony could see the blush rising over her cheeks. Tony blinked, trying to figure out what had happened. He had almost lost control… He had almost kissed her… For a while there he had thought that Ziva was going to kiss him back…

Tough luck, DiNozzo. He thought, angry at himself. She's never going to love a failure and a player like you.

Tony joined Ziva and Gibbs at the crime scene and had to cover his nose at the foul smell of rotting smell. He surveyed the area. There was a decomposing, headless body lying in the foliage at the edge of the small path they were standing on. A cute, female runner of about 20 sat wrapped in foil, talking to a policeman with a rather haunted look on her face.

The body belonged to a woman, and Gibbs sent Tony and Ziva looking for more evidence and to take photographs of the crime scene.

"That is rather disgusting." Tony stated, wrinkling his nose. Ziva stolidly stared at the ground.

"I have seen worse." She muttered. Her voice was quiet and Tony decided to probe further into her comment.

"What happened Ziva?" He asked, trying to sound caring. She seemed upset about something.

"Nothing… Nothing you need to know about anyway." Ziva said hotly and Tony put his hands up in defense.

"Okay! I was only trying to help." He replied and Ziva sighed.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, still staring at the ground. "Look!"

"What?" Tony looked where she was pointing and almost retched. A rotting head was lying in the leafage a few yards away. The head was slashed, more than likely by a knife or suchlike. "Ew."

"Now that is disgusting." Ziva agreed and they approached it cautiously. Ziva took some photos of it and bent down to examine it. Tony snapped some photos of Ziva's butt as she leant down.

"Tony, do put the camera away." She said, exasperated. "McGee will only wonder why you were taking photos of my ass."

Tony chuckled and knelt down next to Ziva, making carefully sure that his knees did not touch the ground.

"But you have a nice ass!" He protested and Ziva had to hide a pleased smile.

"How kind of you." Ziva smirked and Tony took a deep breath.

"Ziva…?" Ziva turned to face him, her expression questioning.

"Yes, Tony?" Tony looked at her for a few seconds before replying. He tried to keep hush-hush about it normally but he really wanted to have Ziva to himself tonight.

"Well… It is my birthday today… And I was wondering… If you would come… to dinner with me tonight?" He said the last bit all in a rush, running the words into each other. A sudden smile brightened Ziva's features and her eyes reflected the obvious happiness she felt in being invited.

_Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart?_

"Thank you! I would love you! Happy birthday!" She grinned, and then added in a conspiratorial whisper. "So… how old?"

"Never ask a man his age!" Tony protested and Ziva raised an eyebrow.

"First of all that is never ask a woman her age, but do conclude." She grinned.

"Thirty-four." Tony admitted.

"Why are you embarrassed?" Ziva asked, and Tony shrugged. "Well, thank you for the invitation..!"

"Glad to see you don't mind spending more time with me than necessary!" Tony shot back, and grinning like idiots, they made their way back to Gibbs with the news about their new found find.

_It's not unbroken anymore.  
How do I get it back the way it was before?_

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A/N: Please review and say what you think!**_

_**The lyrics are from "A Perfectly Good Heart" which, as you may have guessed, is also the title of the story! **_© Taylor Swift

_**Please tell me what you think, and whether I should continue!**_


	2. Outshine

_**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews on the last chapter!**_

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Ziva knocked hesitantly on the door, wondering if she had got the wrong house. She self-consciously brushed out all the minute creases in her dress and smoothed down her already perfect hair. When the door opened, it was obvious that she had not gotten the wrong house. There he stood, smart in shirt, tie and black pants, with his hair mussed up in an 'I really don't spend that much time on my appearance' way. She felt like she just wanted to either jump into his arms and kiss those beautiful lips, or turn and run back down the steps to her car and drive off fast before she did anything embarrassing.

Tony's front door was majestic enough; dark brown mahogany with a large, lion head shaped gold knocker. Tony looked at Ziva, who looked gorgeous, as usual. My girl, he thought.

"Hey." He said softly and held open the door for her to come in. As she walked in, she stopped abruptly and Tony thought something was wrong. Then he realized that she was looking at the inside of his house and she seemed rather awed.

"Wow." She breathed, and Tony stood just behind her, one arm draped over her shoulder in a way that was meant to look nonchalant.

"Thanks. It was left to me by my uncle. It's a bit over the top in my opinion… But each to their own." Tony chuckled and Ziva smiled.

"It is much nicer than my apartment." She informed him and he smiled.

"I must see your apartment sometime and decide for myself." He said, seductively.

"I have your present right here." Ziva told Tony, and handed him an envelope. He tucked it into his top pocket.

"I'll open it later, after dinner. I want to keep myself waiting in suspense." He said, and Ziva chuckled.

"I would have made you dinner, seeing as it is your birthday…" She apologised and Tony waved a hand dismissively.

"I invited you; you don't have to make anything!" He protested and Ziva smiled at Tony.

"So, what is for dinner?" She asked, inquisitive about whether Tony could even cook or not.

"Polpettine alla Griglia. My Nonna taught me how to cook traditional Italian dishes." Tony said, grinning and Ziva looked very interested.

"It sounds nice!" She smiled and Tony smiled back, relieved. He hadn't known what to cook. He had wanted it to be special, not a take-out or pizza or anything like that. Then he had found his Nonna's old recipe book in the back of a cupboard. He had completely forgotten about it until today! He had also found his Nonna's famous chocolate brownie recipe, and had made some for Ziva. They had always been a treat for him when he was little and went to his Nonna's for Sunday lunch. It had taken him two attempts, admittedly, as the recipe was written in Italian, presumably to keep it secret, and also they fact that he wasn't amazingly proficient at baking.

"This way…" Tony told Ziva, and, putting a hand over her eyes, he led her into the dining room, which he had set up earlier when he had gotten home.

"It is your birthday; shouldn't it be a surprise for you?" Ziva asked, and Tony chuckled.

"It is a treat enough to have your company for dinner." He complimented her, and she smiled. Maybe he did like her, after all? She quickly erased the thought from her mind. He was just being Tony, promiscuous, flirtatious and probably just teasing.

Tony took his hand away from Ziva's eyes. She gasped in amazement at the room. First of all, the room itself was extravagant enough, with a table, mahogany chairs, a large crystal chandelier and an upright grande piano at one side of the room.

The room was lit by candles, the flickering light making the atmosphere eerie or romantic, depending which way you looked at it. The table had a white table cloth spread over it, a bottle of wine standing in the center. Two places were set, a plate, knife, fork, spoon and wine glass.

"It is beautiful, Tony." Ziva breathed and Tony smiled. He had wondered whether she would like it, or think it a stupid gesture. He didn't want Ziva to think of him as the promiscuous player who fancied anything with long legs, large chest, pretty face and the XX chromosomes. He wanted Ziva to realize that he could be sincere and caring…

"Thank you." He replied, and led her to one of the chairs. He pulled the chair out for her, and once she was sat down, laid a napkin across her lap in an extravagant flourish. Ziva smiled. She felt happy and comfortable.

Tony proceeded to serve the Polpettine alla Griglia and Ziva looked at the meal. It did look good. Tony, unfortunately, took the look to say that Ziva didn't like the look of it. He looked at her worriedly.

"Is something wrong?" He asked apprehensively. Ziva shook her head.

"Everything is perfect." She replied, and Tony relaxed, obviously relieved.

Over dinner, they talked of unimportant matters, such as cases in the office, Abby and McGee, Gibbs' frequent visits to Director Shepard's office and other such subjects. Once the main course was finished, Tony removed their plates and brought in a dish full of delicious looking brownies. Ziva inhaled the mouth-watering smell. She felt pampered, and loved every moment.

Once they had eaten their full share of brownies, Tony poured them each another glass of red wine, and they removed themselves to the sitting room. Ziva sat down on the couch, and Tony settled down next to her, gently sitting his wine glass down on the table in front of them.

"Now it is time to open the envelope." Tony grinned and Ziva smiled. She had thought for ages of what to buy him. Tony slipped his finger under the flap and ripped the top open. He drew out a card. He smiled. It was obviously hand-made, but it looked good.

"You made this?" He asked incredulously, as the card looked professionally made.

"Yes." Ziva admitted. "I do have other talents other than killing people."

"I'm sure you do." Tony said in a suggestive voice and Ziva chuckled. "Like your amazing talent at air guitar!"

"Which beats the pants of yours." Ziva shot back and they both laughed. Tony opened the card. Inside was a $50 gift card to Tony's favorite media shop. On the card was written:

_My heart for you will never break. My smile for you will never fade. My love for you will never end. I love you._

_Happy Birthday, Tony._

_Ziva x_

Tony re-read the writing again. He smiled. It was such a sweet message; he certainly wouldn't have expected to hear it from Ziva of all people. He leant over to Ziva and kissed her on the cheek. He saw a blush flush her cheeks for a few seconds before she returned to her usual 'happy face.'

"Thank you, Zee." He said and Ziva smiled. He had kissed her! Anthony DiNozzo had kissed her! On the cheek, admittedly, but still! She hadn't known whether he would like it or think it stupid. She also liked the nickname.

"You are very welcome. Now, the dinner and present opening is over… What are we going to do?" Ziva asked the last sentence in a suggestively seductive voice. Tony chuckled and scooted across the couch closer to her.

"Well, since it is much too early to go to bed, I was thinking that we watch a movie first… Does that sound reasonable, Officer David?" Tony asked and Ziva smiled. She was glad that he hadn't tried to get her into bed with him; it would have completely ruined the night. She didn't realize just how carefully Tony was picking his words.

He did not want to lose her now. Or ever.

Tony stood up and took a few DVDs out from his expansive collection. He picked three; The Notebook, Slumdog Millionaire and Iron Man. He had already guessed what Ziva would pick, and was pretty sure that he wanted to watch it with her too. She didn't let him down.

"The Notebook, please." She suggested and Tony smiled. He put the DVD into the player and pressed the play button.

As they watched Allie and Noah's story unfold, they unconsciously moved closer, until Ziva was lying with her head in Tony's lap. The film drew to a close two hours later, and Tony looked down to see a tear roll down Ziva's cheek. He had never really seen his ninja chick cry before. He kissed the tear away and Ziva smiled up into his blue-gray eyes.

"Well… It was a very good movie." She admitted and Tony smiled.

"I thought you would like it." He replied, and Ziva returned the smile.

"I am tired." Ziva told Tony, stretching out her arms and yawning widely. Tony bit his lip. He hadn't been sure what to do… "Shall I go home?"

"You don't want to stay?" Tony asked, hurt. Ziva looked shocked.

"I do… Of course I do! Only… I didn't know if you wanted me to stay!" She replied, and Tony felt relief flood his tensed body.

"I would love you to stay… I really would! You can sleep in the spare bedroom… If you don't want to share…" He said carefully. He didn't want to seem like he was jumping straight on the mark.

"I'm sure I could put up with sleeping with you tonight." Ziva smirked and Tony stood up.

"Glad to be of service." He joked, and picked Ziva up, cradling her in his arms.

"My bag!" Ziva remembered, and Tony grabbed it on his way. Ziva blushed. "I was not sure of what was going to happen… So I brought night clothes."

"Sensible." Tony grinned and Ziva laughed. He carried her gently up the stairs, and carefully pushed open the door to his bedroom. He laid her tenderly down on his bed, her luxurious brown hair fanning out over the white pillows. Ziva sighed softly.

"Thank you for this evening. I enjoyed it." She said to Tony, who smiled at the compliment.

"No, thank you! I would have been sitting on the couch watching movies all night if it hadn't been for you!" He protested and Ziva grinned. Tony threw her clothes to her, and she caught them deftly. He walked over to the wardrobe and removed a pair of flannel pants and an old t-shirt from their hangers.

"I will get changed in the bathroom." He offered, and made his way over to the said room. Ziva sat up and pulled her dress off. She pulled on the blue silk nightdress over her underwear, and lay back down on the bed. She was staring absentmindedly at an inconspicuous dot on the ceiling.

She was spending the night with Tony DiNozzo.

She smiled as he returned from the bathroom and lay down beside her. She had a sudden idea.

"Good night, Tony." She said, and teasingly turned away from him. She was surprised when all he did was lay his arm across her and whisper a reply.

"Good night, Zee-Zee." She smiled at the newest nickname. She liked it.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed that! It is 23:15 here… I really should go to sleep…**_

_**Please review!**_

_**Pénny**_


	3. I'd Lie

_**A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing the last chapter! I have had so many favorites and story alerts, my inbox is majorly crowded!**_

_**Please read and review!**_

_

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BUZZZ._

Tony leant over Ziva to pick up his phone which was ringing. Ziva woke up, startled, to see a shape looming over her. She brought her hand up and heard the crunch of his nose breaking.

"Shit!" Tony swore at the same time that Ziva gasped:

"Harah!" Which meant exactly the same as Tony's cuss. "I am so sorry! I thought you were… Never mind. I am so sorry!"

Tony got up and ran to the bathroom before blood spoilt all the sheets. Ziva followed him sheepishly. He grabbed some tissues and dampened them before gingerly wiping the blood from his nose.

"Here, let me." Ziva offered, and Tony handed her the clump of now red tissues. She dabbed gently at his Tony, feeling bad every time he winced. "This is going to really hurt."

"OUCH!" Tony screamed, as Ziva pulled his nose back into place.

"I did warn you." Ziva told him, and Tony's eyes widened even further.

"Jesus, woman! I didn't know what you were about to do! That bloody hurt!" He whined; his voice still slightly nasally. He stumbled back into the bedroom, and picked up his phone. He hadn't even got a chance to pick it up before Ziva's fist met his nose.

1 Missed Call from The Boss Man.

He read from the screen. He hit redial and after a few rings, Gibbs picked up.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs stated.

"Hey, Boss. I was just-" Tony was saying, before Gibbs interrupted him.

"Shut up. Get your ass down to the bullpen now please. You are only an hour late. Tell Ziva that she can have until noon off." Gibbs chided and Tony's eyes widened.

"Ziva, you get until noon off." Tony informed Ziva, and turned back to the phone. "How the heck did you know where Ziva was?"

"DiNozzo! You would completely fail under interrogation. Anyway, I know everything." Gibbs reprimanded, and thought that he could hear Tony's eyes rolling.

"Yes, Boss. Whatever, Boss. Be right there, Boss." Tony ran off the lists of answers and a click from the other end indicated that Gibbs had put down the phone on him.

Tony rolled reluctantly out of bed, and wandered over to grab some clothes from his wardrobe. He pulled out a pair of black pants, a white vest and a pale blue open necked shirt. Both the pants and shirt were Ermenegildo Zegna designs. Ziva had noticed the night before that so was his underwear.

He got dressed quickly, went into the bathroom, brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and re-entered the bedroom. Ziva was still lying in bed, looking very tempting, like a personal demon trying to get him out of work. He smiled.

"Bye, honey." He walked over to Ziva, and made to kiss her lightly on the cheek. Ziva grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down. A few minutes of passionate kissing later, Tony rolled off Ziva, and lay staring at the ceiling.

"Sorry, Zee-Zee. I really have to get into work. You know how Gibbs gets." Ziva nodded knowingly. She was a bit annoyed, as she would have preferred to be working rather than wandering aimlessly about at home. Or Tony's home. Unfortunately, without Tony.

"I will see you later then." She smiled, and Tony kissed her again, but drew away before he could get too involved.

"See you at noon." He winked and grabbed his jacket, before making his way downstairs to grab a pair of shoes. Ziva listened for the click of the door. It came a few minutes later. She sighed. What was she meant to do?

Then her phone rang. She picked it up. Caller ID unknown. She picked it up anyway.

"Shalom?"

* * *

"Morning, McEarly." Tony grinned as he sat down at his desk.

"Morning, DiLato." McGee retorted.

"Morning. I recognize your face from somewhere…" Gibbs said, walking into the bullpen. "Oh, yeah. It's DiNozzo. Who should have been here two hours ago."

"Sorry boss, I was just-"

"Shut up." Gibbs interrupted. "Cold cases."

"Roger that." Tony sighed and powered up his computer. He smiled at his desktop wallpaper. It was a photo of him, Ziva. Abby, McGee, Gibbs, Jenny and Ducky at the New Year's party.

"Where's Ziva?" McGee asked and Tony sighed.

"Gibbs gave her the morning off." He replied. He still had no idea why Gibbs had given her the morning off. It wasn't really a Gibbs thing to do.

"How do you know that? No, don't tell me… Actually, yes do. Tony, you didn't!" McGee raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"We didn't sleep together!" Tony put his hands up in mock defense. "Well, not really."

"Not really?" McGee questioned, and Tony rolled his eyes at the incessant questions.

"We slept together, but we didn't have sex." Tony cleared up any ounces of doubt McGee might still have.

"Jesus, Tony! What happened?" McGee asked, surprised.

"Well, it was my birthday so I invited Ziva over and we-" McGee interrupted Tony's references to the night.

"Not what happened happened. Most pretty girls you see, you think 'sex' immediately. Then you sleep with Ziva and you don't even have sex? What happened to you?" McGee asked and Tony glared at him.

"I didn't want to ruin it all… I love her, McGee. I really do. I don't want to mess it up now." Tony admitted.

"I'll be right back." McGee grinned, and ran off to the lift to inform Abby of the latest Tiva gossip.

Two hours later, Tony and McGee were practically falling asleep at their desks. Cold cases… How incredibly boring. No action, no chasing, no interrogations. And where was Ziva?

"I thought she only got the morning off?" McGee questioned and Tony shrugged, obviously bored.

"No idea. Maybe she took advantage and took the whole day off. Or maybe she's just stuck in traffic. How am I meant to know?" Tony was irritated. It was swelteringly hot, it was sunny outside, they had to work on endless cold cases, and Ziva wasn't even there to distract him.

The day rolled on, and still Ziva did not appear. Gibbs sent the two irritated, sweating, bored agents home early. Tony drove home through the afternoon sunshine, thinking of the game of football, or soccer, or basketball, or a nice dip in the pool he could enjoy with Ziva when he arrived home.

He unlocked the front door and called out.

"Ziva? You here?" There was no reply, and he headed up the stairs to see if she had simply fallen asleep. The bedroom was empty, except for a folded piece of paper on the pillow.

Tony picked it up and opened it. His eyes widened as he read the contents.

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A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger! But if I had carried on it would be like two chapters in one, and I also need to sleep now!**_

_**Please review and tell me what you think!**_

_**Pénny**_


	4. Damaged

_**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Here is the chapter about the letter!!**_

_**samleigh: You are just about to find out whether the note is good or bad…**_

_**ACTheFrenchExpat: Finding new nickname for Ziva, like, now! Zee-Zee . It sounded fine is English haha**_

_**Please read and review!!!!**_

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Tony sat down heavily on the bed, clutching at the piece of paper in his hands. How could she do this to him, now? He hurriedly rubbed away the tears that had begun trickling down his face. He wasn't going to cry. He wasn't going to cry.

To hell with that. Ziva was gone. Why be happy anymore?

Tony curled up into a ball on the bed that he had slept on with Ziva the night before. About twenty minutes later, his eyes were red and too dry to cry anymore. Tony stumbled over the bathroom and was horrified at his appearance.

His eyes were red and puffy and you could see the tracks the tears had made down his face. He quickly splashed some water onto his face, to try and freshen up a bit. He was going out for dinner with Abby and McGee later. He was meant to be going with Ziva. What could he tell them? The truth seemed the only sensible thing to do.

He went back into the bedroom, and sat back down on the bed. The letter was crumpled and some of the words were smudged from where he had been crying. Tony tried to straighten out the letter. He ran his eyes over the words that he practically knew off by heart now.

Tony,

I have to go. I am leaving for Israel. I will be gone when you get back.

I do not know when I am coming back. I do not even know if I am coming back at all.

Please do not call me.

Ziva David, liaison officer for Mossad.

Tony had wondered at the strange way she signed the letter off. It wasn't just 'Ziva' or 'Ziva David,' but 'Ziva David, liaison officer for Mossad.' He frowned. Ziva was never coming back, was she? He'd done something… And she had left. He must have done something, otherwise why couldn't he call her?

He picked up his phone and scrolled aimlessly through the contacts. His eyes rested on Ziva's number. He created a new message.

Ziva,

You never prohibited texting.

I know that you are probably on the plane right now, so your phone is going to be switched off.

I would say 'please don't go' but it looks like you already have.

I'm sorry, for whatever I have done.

Please, just remember one thing for me.

I love you, I really do.

Tony.

He hit the send button before he could back out. Getting up off the bed, he headed over to the wardrobe so pick something to wear to dinner. He had an hour until McGee was coming to collect him.

Pulling out a pair of black pants, a black shirt with thin white pinstripes on it, a black suit jacket, black shoes and a pair of socks, Tony texted Abby.

Ziva isn't coming. Tony.

The reply came back seconds later.

OMG, is something wrong? What's happened?

Tony frowned. He didn't want to tell anyone, but it was going to get a bit suspicious when Ziva never returned.

I'll tell you later. Tony.

He texted back. He laid his phone down on the bed and got dressed to go out to dinner. Once he was dressed, he had no idea of how to fill the time. He began to read one of the books Ziva had given him a while back. The book was called 'Strike Back' and it was by Chris Ryan, some ex-SAS guy.

He could already see why Ziva liked it. He had to admit, it was a good book though. He could feel the pain that John Porter was going through, and he felt sympathy for him at the way the man blamed his comrades' deaths on himself.

He was already over to 200 page mark when his doorbell rang. He got up and went to answer the door.

"Hey, Tony." McGee greeted him cheerily.

"McHappy, shut up." Tony growled. How come McGee could be so happy? Then he realized that McGee had no idea of what had happened to Ziva. Tony grabbed his wallet and picked up his coat from the back of the couch.

"Someone's cheery today." McGee noticed and Tony glared at him.

"Keep out of it, McNosy." He snapped and McGee was actually surprised. He hadn't seen Tony this moody since… well not for a while.

They drove in an awkward silence to pick up Abby. Tony stayed in the car while McGee went to ring the doorbell. After a few minutes Abby bounded down the steps of her house and sat down next to Tony in the back.

"Why isn't Ziva coming?" She asked bluntly.

"I'll tell you later." Tony growled, turning away to the window.

"Déjà vu!" Abby exclaimed. "I swear you said that earlier…"

"Just leave it Abby!" Tony turned round and shouted at her, and then slumped down into the seat again. "I'm sorry."

"Never apologize. It's a sign of weakness." Abby admonished.

"I do not care." Tony informed her, and Abby looked him up and down, trying to figure out what had happened. She noticed the almost invisible lines where he'd been crying.

"She left?" Abby whispered, and McGee had to strain his ears to hear the conversation.

"Yes." Tony said quietly, his eyes filling with tears. "It's all my fault."

He handed over the crumpled letter to Abby. He had put it in his pocket before he came out. There had still been no answering text from Ziva. That was understandable, as she would have had to take the two hour flight to JFK, and then she would be on the flight to Tel Aviv for seven hours.

He had no idea when she had left; only that it was probably around 10AM. He had searched for flights to Israel and had come up with a few Ziva might be on. There was flight 4740 which would take her to JFK, and then she might have gone to Newark and caught the 28, or the 84, or taken the 2 or 85 from JFK.

The earliest flight to Tel Aviv was 14:30 from Newark, but there were also flights at 16:05, 19:55 and 20:35. Then it clicked. Ziva could still be in the airport! If she had stayed at JFK to take the 2 or 85 then she might not have left!

Then his phone rang.

_**

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A/N: Ooh… I'm being evil today =]**_

_**I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!! Please review!! The flight information is from the American Eagle Airlines website, for flights to Israel on the 9**__**th**__** of July 2009. SO they are real flights! Today is the 9**__**th**__** of July in the story, as Michael Weatherly's birthday is on the 8**__**th**__**, so Tony's is too, now!**_

_**Did you know that Rocky Carroll's (Vance) birthday is the same day as Michael's? He's just five years older, apparently. Joe Spano's (Tobias Fornell) birthday is July 7**__**th**__**, the day before!**_

_**Sasha Alexander's (Kate) birthday is the day before mine! Whoa! =D**_

_**Pauley's birthday next month, people!!!!**_


	5. Picture To Burn

_**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! Please read and review this one!!!**_

* * *

"Hello?" Tony asked, answering the phone. He hadn't even checked the caller ID.

"Tony." The voice on the other end said. He practically felt his heart melt as he realized who it was. "You get around everything, do you not?"

"All the time." Tony replied, smiling.

"I say do not phone me, so you text me. Interesting thinking." Ziva said, and chuckled.

"Why did you leave?" Tony asked, his voice cracking. Ziva hesitated.

"I… I cannot tell you. If I could, I would. Honest." Ziva answered. She was sitting in a bar waiting for her flight to be announced. She had two hours to kill. Ziva sighed, and fingered the stem of the wine glass in front of her. "I'm sorry."

"Apologising is a sign of weakness." Tony admonished.

"You make me weak anyway, so what is that problem?" Ziva replied, her voice husky. She missed him already. She remembered that phone call she had received. Obviously, Gibbs had known about it… She recoiled from the memory. What would happen if she couldn't come back?

"Weak at the knees." Tony agreed. Ziva smiled weakly. The whole day had just been too much. The phone call, then leaving, and now speaking to Tony again. It made her realize just how much she missed him.

"We're here." McGee said, and Tony frowned.

"I'm sorry I missed the dinner." Ziva whispered, and Tony wished that he was there to hug her.

"It's okay, Zee. Just get yourself back soon, all right?" Tony asked, and Ziva blinked to stop the tears overflowing down her cheeks.

"I cannot promise anything." She murmured.

"I love you, Zee." Tony whispered. He didn't want to talk any louder as he was sure that his voice would crack and he'd start crying. Again.

"I love you too." There was a click as the line disconnected.

"Ziva?" Abby asked, and Tony nodded, not trusting himself to speak. "Where is she? What's wrong?"

McGee put his arm around Abby's shoulders and steered her in the direction of the restaurant.

"Let's give Tony some time to himself, okay, Abby?" McGee told her, and she sighed. She wanted to know where her best friend was, and no one would tell her.

McGee and Abby were seated around a four person table, and a waitress wandered over to them.

"Hello. I am Devon, and I will be your server for tonight. Can I get you any drinks?" The waitress was obviously bored as she ran off the classic lines.

"A Wedding Belle for me, please." Abby smiled at the waitress. She knew how to make lots of cocktails herself, and the Wedding Belle was one of her favorites.

"Floridita Daiquiri." McGee requested, and grinned at Abby as he remembered the New Year's party where she had made cocktails for everyone. Abby's idea of a brilliant cocktail was generally double the alcohol and half everything else. Not that it was a bad thing…

"Black Jack." Tony said, as he slid onto the seat next to Abby. "Well, since you were having cocktails, I thought I might as well, too."

Devon smiled at the group, and gave Tony her most flirtatious smile. Tony gave her a cursory glance, taking in the cake-like make-up, the too-tight uniform, and the obviously dyed blond hair. He ignored her and turned back to Abby and McGee. Devon walked confused, back to the kitchen.

A really hot guy had just blanked her. He had blanked her! She was going to get revenge on him for that. He was probably gay, so he deserved it anyhow. She smiled evilly. She knew exactly what to do.

"Ziva's gone to Israel." Tony stated, before Abby could start jabbering about where was Ziva.

"Why?" Abby and McGee's jaw were hanging open. She'd just left… Just like that?

"She says she can't say." Tony sighed.

"Something must have happened…" Abby deduced thoughtfully.

"Yeah." Tony agreed. McGee didn't say anything. He had been studying the way Tony had been acting.

"You thought it was your fault she left." He realized, and Tony turned to stare at him.

"What did you say?" He growled, and McGee blanched.

"You thought Ziva left because of last night." McGee carried on, but instead of getting angrier, Tony slumped back into the soft leather of the seat.

"Yes." One word made a lot of difference. Abby leant over and hugged him tightly, pressing her face into his shoulder.

"Tony! How could you think that? She'd never leave you! She loves you!" Abby told Tony, who sat up, surprised.

"What? How do you know?" He asked, and Abby bit her lip.

"We were playing truth or dare at a slumber party, and she was always doing the dares, so I told her she had to pick truth next time. She did, and I asked who she loved at NCIS. First of all, she said she loved everyone there like they were her family. Then I asked who did she _**love**_ love, and she said that it was you… Have I said too much?" Abby asked worriedly.

"No, Abby. What you said was perfect." Tony smiled, his eyes finally showing that he was actually smiling because he was happy, it wasn't a fake smile.

"Drinks!" Abby exclaimed, and Devon approached them. She handed McGee his first, then handed Abby hers. As she was handing Tony his, she let her hand 'slip' and the drink fell out of her hand. It was like it was happening in slow motion.

The glass was at about a 45 degree angle. Tony saw that it was about to go all over his pants, and Abby saw it too. Abby's hand lashed out, and knocked the drink out of the way. It missed Tony's pants…

And splashed over Devon's legs. The slightly sticky drink trickled down her legs. Devon was fuming. First he blanked her, and then he spilt his drink all over her!

She pulled her hand back, and slapped Tony. Hard. His head turned from the force of the slap, and he touched his face in surprise.

"Feisty." He smirked.

Devon turned and stormed back into the kitchen. Tony realized that everyone was looking at their table. Simultaneously, McGee, Abby and Tony all burst into laughter.

The manager ran after Devon into the kitchen. He caught her wrist and spun her round.

"How dare you!" He spat, and Devon recoiled. "First you try to ruin your family, and then you try to ruin the family business. You bitch!"

The manager brought his hand back to slap his unfortunate daughter, but someone caught hold of his wrist.

"Let me go!" He shouted, trying to wrench his hand away. He turned, and came face to face with Abby.

"No." She snarled.

_**

* * *

A/N: All the reviews made me want to write more!! Please review!**_

_**Pénny**_


	6. Hurt

_**A/N: This chapter is all about Devon!!! Pretty much. Apologies but no Tiva…**_

_**Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter!**_

* * *

"Violence. Child abuse. Sexual abuse. Those are the charges. Now TALK!" Gibbs shouted as he entered the room. The man had been waiting for two hours, in the cold interrogation room.

"No." The man said coldly, and Gibbs glared at him.

"You may not talk, but the evidence will!" Gibbs yelled and the man looked taken aback. He had absolutely no idea that Gibbs was bluffing.

"What? How?" Gibbs smirked.

"I'll tell you once you tell me what you did to your daughter." He growled. Tony was watching through the window, but the man couldn't see him. Tony was shaking with laughter at the man's face. Gibbs sure was scary.

"She's the bitch daughter of a whore." The man snarled. "She does everything wrong, she tried to ruin the family! Just slap her round a bit, she plays nice then. She's much better than her mother in bed."

"You sick bastard!" Gibbs yelled. The man was disgusting; he was the one needing a good slap. At least he had what he needed now. Verbal evidence, from the man himself. Now they could just get the evidence.

He thought back to the scene with Devon. She hadn't wanted to be tested when they had suspected sexual abuse, she had refused to show them any bruises. Now she knew that her father couldn't come and get her, maybe she would co-operate. _Poor girl_, Gibbs thought.

The man's name was Reagan Niall. Gibbs thought about the name, which meant King King. That man believed he was above everybody and below nobody.

Devon Niall was 19, and her mother was Venus Darcy, who would be 34 if she was still alive. _Mother at 15_, Gibbs thought. Venus had died in childbirth, and the child had gone to Reagan, even though they weren't married. Niall had mistreated the child, slapping her to high heaven for the smallest error.

Devon had run away from home during her 'rebellious stage' at 16. She had lived rough for 4 months with her boyfriend, Jay, until Jay had been arrested for kidnapping her. That was the story her father had thought of. He had been released from prison 7 months later, and would have nothing to do with her.

No one would have anything to do with the strange, girl with the father who had temper problems. Another thing her father blamed on her. She had only had 3 boyfriends and they had both been before Jay. There had been Finn and Oscar. Finn had dumped her after two days, so he could go out with her then best friend, Summer. She had dated Oscar for over a year, before her father decided that they were getting too serious. Oscar had disappeared a few days later. It was suspected suicide, but nothing had ever been proved.

Devon sat in the corner of Abby's lab, drinking a caf-pow. She had been told that she couldn't stay down there, but Abby had persuaded Gibbs that Devon needed a bit of TLC. Gibbs had backed down, and allowed Devon in the lab, under the pretense that Devon was not allowed to see the investigations they were doing.

Abby had chattered away to Devon all the while she was working, asking Devon questions but trying to keep away from the subject of Reagan Niall.

"I used to want to be a forensics scientist." Devon sighed. It had been her dream. She'd excelled at Science and Math at school, but her father had wanted her to take over the family business; the diner.

"That's awesome!" Abby exclaimed. "Why didn't you?"

"Dad." Devon managed to inflict all the pain her father had made her suffer over the years into that one word and Abby was shocked. This girl really hated her dad. No surprises there, Abby realized, thinking about what Niall had done to his daughter. The phone rang.

"Abby here." Abby sang.

"What have you got?" Gibbs asked.

"Not much. Details on the family, that type of stuff." Abby replied. They didn't have much to go on.

"I'll be right there." Gibbs told her, and ended the call. Abby glared at the call. She never got to end the call! It was so unfair.

A few minutes later Gibbs entered the room. It looked like Abby and Devon were having a heart to heart. Devon glanced up and Gibbs put his finger up to his lips. He silently approached Abby from behind.

"ARGH!" Abby jumped up and both Gibbs and Devon burst into laughter. "Do not TICKLE ME!"

Devon was laughed so much at Abby's expression that her eyes began to water from laughing so hard.

"Abs." Gibbs got back to being serious. He had got a smile onto Devon's face now, she looked happier than she ever had. "He admitted to all three charges."

"He did WHAT?!" Abby exclaimed, then recovered herself. "But… evidence?"

"Leave me alone with Devon for a moment. I need to talk to her." Gibbs said, turning to the blonde 19 year old. Devon backed away from him.

"No… Abby stay. Please." She begged. She didn't want to be left alone with a man. Even if it was this nice guy who had been trying to help her. She just didn't trust him. She didn't trust anyone.

"Gibbs?" Abby wavered between both of them, but Gibbs gestured for her to sit down. He sat quite far away from Devon; he didn't want to scare her into silence.

"Devon. Your father admitted to the charges. He will be in prison for many years… Only we need evidence. Cold hard evidence." Gibbs began, and Devon's face was expressionless.

"He will kill me." She whispered, and Gibbs shook his head.

"He will never be able to get to you. He's in a holding cell already. He will be in prison for a long, long time. We need your help." Gibbs said and Devon bit her lip.

"What do I have to do?" She said at long last.

"We need to have swabs from parts of you, and photographs of any bruises he may have inflicted." Gibbs told her, and Devon sighed. She knew exactly what parts.

"Only if the nurse is female." She begged. "Please. Not a man."

* * *

The test results came back positive.

Reagan Niall had sexually abused his child, and had used her as a prostitute to gain more money.

There was just one complication.

"Devon?" Abby said, sitting down next to the girl who currently looked scared and frightened. "You're pregnant."

Tears spilled down Devon's cheek.

"No! No! I can't be! Get it out!" Devon begged Abby, and Abby bit her lip.

"You want an abortion?" She asked finally.

"Yes…" Devon whispered. She didn't want anything to do with the 'midnight men' as she called them. "Please…"

Abby stood up, and informed the nurse of Devon's plea. The nurses looked sadly at the unfortunate girl. Life had been hard on her. Abby was about to leave, when Devon called out to her.

"Please… I don't want to go in there alone."

_**

* * *

A/N: Aw… Poor Devon. She isn't as cruel as you think. 'Survival of the fittest.'**_

_**Please review and say what you think!!!!!**_

_**Now, I am going to bed as it is midnight!!!  
**_


	7. I Heart

_**A/N: Sorry for no updates, I have been really busy!**_

_**For any Broken readers, I have started a chapter and should finish it tomorrow. **_

_**They blocked FFN at school! :O No fair!**_

_**Thanks for all your luvverly reviews!**_

* * *

Devon sat in the corner alone. Her face was red and streaked with tears. Abby watched her sadly.

The operation had went well; Devon was fine. But losing a baby would be hard on anyone, right? Devon hadn't wanted to talk with Abby; she had said she needed some 'alone' time. Abby understood what she meant.

"Devon?" She asked softly, approaching the girl cautiously.

"Hi." Devon smiled weakly.

"You should get some rest... You could stay with us." Abby offered, and Devon looked confused.

"Sleep at NCIS?" She asked, and Abby chuckled.

"No. You could stay around mine if you wanted to." Abby looked questioningly at Devon, not sure how the girl would take the proffered slumber party idea.

"I could? I really could?" Devon asked incredulously. "Like... slumber party?"

"Like a slumber party." Abby grinned at the younger girl, who returned the grin with a watery smile of her own.

"Okay... I just don't want to go home, that's all. My dad had... friends." The way Devon said the word 'friends' seemed to imply something else. Abby put a hand out and Devon took hold of it. Abby hauled Devon to her feet, and they made their way to Abby's car.

"Nice." Devon said approvingly. Abby laughed.

"It's Tony's car. Well, technically his spare. He lent it to me as mine broke down a while ago. I hate the cars they give you at the repair center. They are insults!" Abby fumed, and Devon laughed. Abby was surprised. The last time she had heard Devon laugh was in the lab when Gibbs tickled her. She smiled at the memory. Gibbs was pretty much a father to her. Tony was like a brother to her. McGee... McGee was the boyfriend she couldn't have. And Ziva... Ziva...

"What's wrong?" Devon asked, sensing something wrong. Abby was... silent?!

"Nothing." Abby said quietly. Ziva... Her best friend... Was never coming back.

"Abby? Tell me." Devon ordered, but not in an annoyed or angry way.

"Ziva..." Abby replied, before the tears overflowed down her cheeks.

"Ziva? Who is that? What happened?" Devon asked.

"she was my best friend. She was a liaison officer for Mossad at NCIS. Then yesterday... She just... left." Abby replied, leaning back against the car for support. Devon had helped her forget about all the Ziva issues. But now? It all came rushing back, like one too many cocktails at New Year.

"Do you know... why?" Devon asked and Abby shook her head mournfully.

"No. She left Tony a letter. He thought it was his fault... She said that she couldn't tell us why she had to go. We don't even know if she's ever coming back." Devon thought back to Oscar. Wondering if they were ever coming back... and then seeing the still form on the gurney. Being questioned for whether he had been suicidal. She knew how Abby felt.

"She'll come back... Won't she? I mean, she wants to, right?" Devon checked. Abby frowned.

"She loved NCIS. Her father... was evil. Majorly evil. Big time villainous demon-like evil." Devon chuckled.

"Not a nice man. You ever meet him?" Abby shook her head.

"I heard enough about him though. You know, Ziva can kill you 18 different ways with just one paper clip. She has at least two knives and generally a gun on her at all times. And Tony thinks she killed Houdini..." Devon burst into laughter. Abby remembered the conversation as explained by McGee.

_"I've been working on my six pack, you know abs." Tony said, squaring himself up for a punch.  
_

_"Have you and Abby been drinking?" Ziva asked, confused._

_"Abdominals. Well, technically it's a four pack, and there's this one long stubborn one here... Hit me as hard as you can." Tony challenged her.  
_

_"You know that's how Houdini died." McGee pointed out._

_"Ziva, did you kill Houdini?" Tony asked._

_"It is possible. I do not remember all their names." Ziva replied._

She smiled at the memory.

"Abby!" They both turned round at the shout.

"Tim!" Abby replied, overjoyed to see the (very cute) familiar face. McGee pulled his car to a halt next to the two girls, his window rolled down.

"What you doing?" He asked quizzically.

"Slumber party!!" Abby grinned and McGee rolled his eyes.

"I will not intrude." He smirked and went to drive off, but Abby grabbed his arm.

"You could share with me." She whispered into his ear, quietly so Devon wouldn't hear. McGee blushed a deep scarlet.

"I may take you up on that offer sometime, but for now, _au revoir_." He smiled and drove off.

"You love him." Deovn pointed out bluntly. Abby flushed.

"I guess I do. Now come on!" Abby got into the driving seat and waited for Devon.

Ten minutes later they had arrived at Abby's apartment. Abby parked her car and they climbed the stairs to the second floor.

"It isn't big..." Abby apologized, unlocking the front door of number 35. Devon shrugged.

"It doesn't matter to me."

Abby bustled about, fetching pillows, duvets, pajamas, and snacks. Five minutes later, they had their backs to the couch, snacking on chocolate and Doritos while they watched CSI re-runs.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Abby asked, during a commercial break. Devon thought for moment before replying.

"Join the navy and go through university. I want to study to be a forensic scientist. I guess I have an opportunity now. It's there, and I'm taking it."

* * *

_**A/N: We will be getting back to the main plot in the next chapter, I promise!**_

_**Devon will be returning... Surprise =]**_

_**Remember, reviews are much appreciated!**_


	8. I'd Lie, Again

_**A/N: I knew exactly what I wanted to write in this chapter, so I just straight got on with it! Please read!**_

**

* * *

Five months later...**

"DiNozzo, McGee, we're going." Gibbs announced, marching into the bullpen followed by a reluctant Abby.

"Going where, boss?" Tony asked.

"Airport." Gibbs replied. "We're picking up our new agent."

Tony's face fell. Ziva wasn't coming back now. If they were getting a new agent that meant that she wouldn't be coming back to NCIS. Gibbs saw his expression.

"Come on, DiNozzo, I'm sure you can hit on this one too. She is a girl." Gibbs tried to get the atmosphere lighthearted. It wasn't working.

"It won't be the same." Tony answered sadly, following the other three over to the elevator.

"Nothing will ever be the same!" Abby pointed out. "It isn't the same as it was six months ago right now. Six months ago we had an intelligent, witty, Mossad assassin in our midst!"

"What Abby said." McGee agreed. Gibbs hid a smile.

_DING._

The elevator doors opened, and they walked out from the building into the cool November air. The depressed looking quartet made their way over to the NCIS van. Tony joined Gibbs in the front, which left McGee and Abby in the back. Both Abby and McGee were secretly pleased with the arrangement, and Abby sat right next to McGee so their legs were touching.

_They are as bad as Ziva and Tony were_, Gibbs thought. _Do I have to play matchmaker for everyone?_

His thoughts flitted to Jenny. And then to Paris. Then back again. A satisfied smile spread across his face. If only... He blocked the musings from his head. Jen was director now. And they were not in Paris.

_Paris..._ Gibbs thought, and then realized that he should really concentrate on driving rather than Paris, otherwise they would never even reach the airport.

"Boss, do you know what the new kid is like?" Tony asked, wondering whether she would be some butch German, or a high-heeled, perfect manicure New Yorker. Or a cowgirl. His imagination began to run wild but then Gibbs interrupted.

"Nothing at all." Gibbs lied. Tony didn't question it. He looked defeated; angry yet sad. He looked like he'd lost a very important match. _The match for Ziva?_ Gibbs sighed. Tony really had been the same. He hadn't flirted with any of the women, he hadn't glued McGee's keyboard nor had he been making snide remarks recently.

_If only Ziva would just return, already!_ Tony thought angrily. Now they would have to deal with some dumb recruit who didn't know what to do, hadn't killed Houdini and most certainly couldn't kill him eighteen different ways with a paper clip.

They arrived at DCA in ten minutes, but had to wait in the queues of morning traffic. Gibbs silently fumed. He hated traffic. He really hated it. You sat there, getting cramp and wasting fuel, while the idiots at the front took ages picking where to park. Tony noted Gibbs' pissed off expression, but took it for annoyance at having to deal with a new recruit. Maybe they were an ex-lawyer? Tony smirked at the thought. _The poor sod._ Life would suck if they were an ex-lawyer with Gibbs as a boss.

"Move! Just move already! You stupid traffic!" Gibbs snapped and started yelling at the stationary traffic. Obviously, it didn't reply.

"Boss, calm it." Tony warned. "Or you could just use the useful little flashing light. That gets them moving."

"Nice thinking, DiNozzo. I like it." Gibbs smirked at Tony's suggestion and switched on the siren. The originally immobile traffic in front of them pulled up onto the grass verges on each side of the dual carriageway to let the NCIS vehicle pass through the centre. Gibbs smiled.

"Live life to the full." Tony joked, as Gibbs swerved expertly between the cars. In only five minutes they were in the car park and heading towards the Arrivals foyer. Gibbs led them over to the seats in the center of terminals 2, 4 and 6. They waited as the time ticked past.

"Which flight are we waiting for?" Tony asked Gibbs.

"Flight 23 from JFK." Gibbs informed him, and Tony nodded sullenly. _Stupid damn recruits! Why couldn't they leave NCIS alone? _Tony crossed his arms over his chest and slumped back into the black leather waiting chairs.

"I bet she's some peroxide blond ex-lawyer bimbo who is scared of blood." Abby piped up and Gibbs chuckled.

"You suggested something along those lines when Ziva arrived." McGee pointed out. "You totally hated her."

"Ziva's different." Tony said quietly.

"That she is." Abby agreed, nodding slightly.

**10:25AM from JFK, delayed by 6 minutes.**

Tony glared at the black screen, as if staring at it hard enough would make the orange numbers go faster. It didn't.

Tony stood up and headed for the WHSmith's. He had 9 minutes to kill, so he might as well do something... useful? He browsed the book section for a while. He noticed a book called "Survival." It looked like a book for teenagers, but it was by the guy Ziva liked, Chris Ryan, so it might be good. He read the blurb.

Five kids: Alex, Li, Paulo, Hex and Amber, are marooned on a desert island where they must face the ultimate test - survival! Killer komodo dragons, sharks and modern day pirates are amongst the dangers they face. Can the five bond as a team - and stay alive?

It looked simple, but it seemed like an okay read. He handed over a ten dollar note to the cashier, who passed back $3.01. He took the change, and returned to his seat next to Gibbs.

Four minutes later, Gibbs prodded Tony in the arm. They stood silently, waiting for the inevitable moment for the new person to arrive.

Two minutes later, they did.

* * *

_**A/N: Ooh! I wanted to leave it on a slight cliffhanger... Good enough for you?**_

_**Please review!!!!**_

_**Pénny**_


	9. Penina

_**A/N: Sorry for no updates! Here you go!!!**_

* * *

Tony stared at the woman heading towards him. He could hear Gibbs, Abby and McGee shouting, but as if they were from a distance. Suddenly he broke into a run.

"Ziva!" He cried, and he picked her up, swung her round and kissed on full on the mouth.

"_Boker tov_, to you too." Ziva grinned.

"_Mee_?" A voice came from beside Ziva. It was then that Tony noticed a girl of about thirteen standing next to Ziva.

"_Sh'mee_ Tony DiNozzo." Tony informed her, then turned to Ziva. "Who is this? Daughter?"

Ziva looked shocked.

"I do not have a daughter! Well, not really... She's my sister... Sort of. I'll explain to everyone over lunch." She decided. Tony took the handle of her suitcase and the handle of one of the girl's. Ziva took one of the two suitcases the girl was left holding.

The girl hurried over to Tony's side, and began to whisper conspiratorially in his ear. Ziva wondered what they were talking about, but she couldn't pick out any words.

"Are you and Ziva..." She struggled for the words. "_Ba'al v'eesha_?"

Tony shook his head shocked. He and Ziva... did they LOOK married?!?!

"_Lo!_" He replied quickly. "_Ma sh'meix?_"

"Penina." The girl replied. "Penina Ariella David."

"_Yapheh_." Tony smiled. "_Ata Medaberet anglit?_"

"_Ani m'daber anglit._" Penina replied. "A little, anyway."

"I was running out of Hebrew phrases." Tony grinned. He had also picked up on her very English way of speaking. "So, tell me about yourself."

"Um... My name is Penina Ariella David, I am Israeli. I am fourteen years old and I will be 15 on May the 18th 2010. I was sent to a boarding school in England when I was seven. I was only allowed home for Christmas and summer holidays. I did not know that I had a sister until six months ago. What about you?" She asked.

"Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. Thirty-three years old... And I am from Long Island. That's about it, really." Tony summed up his life in three very short sentences. They joined Ziva in walking back to Gibbs, McGee, and Abby.

"Welcome to NCIS Agent David." Gibbs smiled. "Welcome to America, Penina."

"_Shalom!_" The girl smiled up at him.

"Agent David?" Tony asked. "What happened to Officer David?"

"I'll explain over lunch. Are you coming?" Ziva began to walk over to the exit. The others hurried to follow her. As they walked out into the busy streets outside the airport, Penina slipped her hand into Abby's.

"It is very busy." She noticed. Abby laughed.

"You get used to it." Abby explained. "You are Penina, right?"

"Yes. Penny, if you please." Abby noticed just how polite her English was. She talked in a very standard English accent as well.

"I'm Abby. I'm a forensics scientist." Abby told her. Penny brightened.

"Awesome!" She grinned. "I like your clothing."

"Thanks!" Abby smiled. She was wearing a short black and white kilt and a "Peace, Love, Forensics" tee shirt. "I like yours too."

"_Toda_." Penny smiled. She was dressed slightly like Ziva, Abby noted, in black cargo pants. She was wearing a blue American Eagle tee shirt though, and black flats. It was a more feminine Ziva look. On a younger person.

They entered the Lebanese Taverna, near DCA. Ziva sat between Penny and Tony, while Abby sat between Gibbs and McGee. McGee was sitting the other side of Penny.

A waiter walked over to give them menus and take their drinks orders.

"Les Printemps, Gamay." Ziva order a bottle of a Lebanese wine for everyone. Penny glared at her sister.

"Diet coke, no ice, no lemon." She requested.

The waiter sauntered off to fetch their drinks, while they scoured the menu for attractive sounding meals.

"Have the _Kafta Harra_, Tony." Penny said, as she glanced at the menu.

"What's that?" Tony asked.

"A _Mezza_. It reads: ground beef & lamb, cooked with tomatoes, garlic, hot peppers & pine nuts." Gibbs chuckled.

"Sounds daring. Thanks, but no thanks. I've had enough of garlic and peppers to last me for a life time since Ziva hid them in mashed potato." Tony replied. Everyone laughed, before silence reigned again as they looked over the menus. Finally, the silence was broken.

"May I take your order?" The waiter asked, putting down five wine glasses, a bottle of Gamay and a diet Coke.

"_Mezzas_?" Ziva checked with the surrounding company. They nodded.

"_Maanek _for me, please." Abby said.

"_Hommos Bel Shawarma_." McGee struggled with the unfamiliar pronunciation.

"Grape Leaves please." Tony requested.

"_Makdous_." Gibbs told the waiter, who was hastily scribbling down the orders.

"_Kibbeh Yoghurtlieh._" The way Penny pronounced it, it sounded as if she was Lebanese. McGee glared at her. Why did the teenager get to be better at pronouncing than he did?

"_Shish barak_." Ziva completed the Mezza orders, and they quickly started ordering the main dishes. No one had even bothered with the salad, Penny noted. She smiled.

"_Sharhat Ghanam_, please." McGee said, and Abby pointed out the one she wanted. McGee glared at her. "Umm... Fatteh Bel Djaje for her."

"_Salmon meshwi_." Gibbs informed the waiter.

"_Riz Bel Djaje_." McGee glared at Tony, who smirked back. Okay, so now both Tony AND the teenager could pronounce it better than him. You what?!

"_Warak Inab Mahshi, iza bitriid_." McGee frowned. Penny could a) pronounce it better and b) she could speak Lebanese? Life sucked.

"_Chicken shawarma,_ please." Ziva requested. "Is that everything?"

Everyone nodded. Now, what they really wanted to know, what the story surrounding Penny and Ziva. The waited for the waiter to collect the menus and depart first. Tony started.

"So, what's the deal with you two?" He asked, gesturing towards Penina and Ziva.

"Well..." Ziva began.

_"Miss David?" The voice on the phone broke into her thoughts._

_"_Ken_?" She replied._

_"Your father..." The voice stopped, then started again. "Your father has been murdered."_

_Ziva was shocked. Her _Aba._.. murdered?_

_"Who? Why? When?" Her brain couldn't keep up. Her _Aba_... MURDERED? He had had many enemies... But murdered?_

_"We need you to return to Israel to settle the family's accounts etcetera. And there is another matter of concern..." Ziva frowned. _

_"_Ken_?" _

_"Your sister." Ziva gasped._

_"Tali?" Tali was dead... wasn't she?_

_"No. Penina. She is your... half-sister."_

Ziva related the beginnings of the story to her expectant friends and colleagues. Their faces were almost identical pictures of shock. Only one face stood out from the rest.

Penny was sitting with her nose in a book. As usual, Ziva smiled. Her sister... daughter... loved to read, just as she did. Although she seemed to prefer English books. Or American, depending on how you looked at it.

"And then?" Gibbs' voice penetrated the sudden silence.

"I went to Israel..."

_Ziva walked into the embassy building._

_"Shalom." She greeted the receptionist at the desk. "I am here to see Mr. Navon?"_

_"Right this way, Miss David." Ziva followed the woman over to the lift._

DING.

_The receptionist pressed the button for Floor 6. The lift rose silently and an awkward silence filled the air. Ziva could imagine what Tony would say. 'Gay baby.' She imagined him saying. A ghost of a smile touched on her lips._

DING.

_"Mr. Navon is expecting you." The receptionist knocked on a door and a voice from inside called 'come in.' She opened the door, and Ziva walked in. A click signalled of the receptionist's departure._

_"Boker tov, Miss David." A young man of about thirty smiled at Ziva from behind an ornate desk. He gestured for her to take a seat. She did so. "I have heard of the unfortunate news about your father. And the unsuspected issue of a previously non-existent sister?"_

_"Ken." Ziva replied stiffly. There was a knock at the door and she turned in her seat._

_"Come in!" Mr. Navon called. A girl of about fourteen entered. "Shalom, Penina."_

* * *

_**A/N: Okay, so most of you probably ****guessed it was Ziva. Bet you didn't guess about Penina! I would have carried on but it is 23:15 and the chapter was getting kinda long...**_

**Phrasebook for Chapter 9:**

Boker tov: Good morning

Mee: Who

Sh'mee: My name is

Baal v'eesha: Husband and wife?

Lo: No

Ma sh'meix: What is your name

Yapheh: Pretty

Ata Medaberet anglit: Do you speak English

Ani m'daber anglit: I speak English

Shalom: Hello

Toda: Thanks

Ken: Yes

Aba: Father

* * *

**LEBANESE**

Iza Bitriid: Thanks


	10. Mezza

_**A/N: Sorry about the no updates! Yesterday and today me and Adiver [April] had a 24 hour straight NCIS marathon!!! Yaaaay!**_

_

* * *

Ziva looked at the girl. This was her sister? Her... half-sister._

_"_Shalom_." She smiled at the girl, trying not to seem hostile. The girl already seemed scared of her. "_Sh'mee _Ziva. _Ani shelax achot_."_

_Penina took a seat next to Ziva._

_"_Boker tov, achot_." She whispered. Ziva smiled encouragingly at her. It couldn't be easy to be shipped back to Israel from England without any prior notice as your father, mother, aunt and the rest of your family has been slaughtered. And then to also find that you have a sister that you never knew about._

_"_Bevokasha,_ Ziva__. _Achot lo. Chaverot anaxnu. Ken_?" Ziva asked, and the girl nodded solemnly._

_"_Ken... Lama... Aba... Lama,_ Ziva_, lama_?" Ziva closed her eyes and bowed her head._

_"_Lo yadua ayadin. Mitz'ta'er_." Ziva apologized. Penina stood up and walked over until she was standing in front of Ziva._

_"_Hatuxal la׳azor lee, be׳vakasha?_" Penina begged, and Ziva stared into the deep brown eyes which were identical in color to hers._

_"_Ken_." Ziva stood up. "Thank you for your time, Mr Naven. Goodbye. Penina, would you like to stay with your sister for a while?"_

_"_Ken_!" Penina smiled. _

"We cleared up all the financial stuff and the family issues. Then we came back here. And here we are! Reporting for duty." Ziva smiled.

"Mezzas." The waiter announced, brandishing plates. "Maanek? Grape leaves?"

The plates were handed about until everyone had the right starters.

"So... Ziva... Penny is your only family left?" Ziva frowned, and blinked to stop the tears.

"Yes." She whispered. Tony patted her knee gently under table.

"She is your sister?" Abby asked. Ziva sighed.

"She is my... daughter. I... adopted her as my daughter." Ziva admitted, blushing slightly.

"Ziva's a mom!" Tony exclaimed, and Ziva glared daggers at him.

"Can I be a godmother?" Abby asked excitedly. Ziva laughed.

"I have already chosen godparents, Abby." Abby's face fell. "For godmothers, Director Shepard and Abby Scuito, and for godfathers Gibbs and McGee."

Tony hid his disappointment at not being on the list. Ziva obviously didn't think he was good enough... responsible enough... Well, he sort of wasn't.

"Single mom." Ziva chuckled.

"Who would you want as your dad, Penny?" Abby asked Penina, who thought for a moment. She shrugged.

"Tony would be an awesome dad." She grinned. Tony's eyes widened.

"Me? A father? No way!" He gasped. Him, as a father? Could you imagine all the catastrophes?

"Why not? Anyway, you would gte to marry Ziva too." Penny grinned impishly, as Ziva and Tony both flushed bright scarlet.

"DiNozzo, you have been recommended." Gibbs chuckled. Penina had caught onto the state of affairs very quickly.

Throughout dinner, conversation surrounded the subject of Ziva and Penina. As dinner drew to a close, conversation began to slow down.

"So, Zee, what are you doing later?" Tony asked.

"I don't know. Going home... Reading... That is about it really." Ziva admitted. Tony smiled.

"I was wondering if you wanted to have some drinks... or something, to celebrate you being back home." Ziva smiled at the suggestion.

"I would love to! But what about Penny?" She asked. She totally had not got used to being a mom. Especially to a teenage girl.

"She's fourteen, Zee." Tony pointed out and Ziva chuckled.

"Oh, yeah. I guess. I'm not really used to all of this." She admitted.

"So, you're coming over tonight?" Penny butted in.

"Uh, yeah." Tony replied. "I think. If it's okay with Zee."

"Ziva? Can Tony come over?" Penina asked, and Ziva chuckled.

"Yes, Tony can come over. New best friend, Penny?" She grinned.

"Totally. My best friend is my sister's boyfriend." Penina grinned and Ziva's mouth widened into a round 'o' shape.

"Penny!"

Ziva drove home with Penny in the passenger seat, and Tony tailed them from behind. They drew up in front of Ziva's apartment. Penny opened the passenger door and wandered up to the door.

Ziva followed her and unlocked it. She could feel the slight pressure of Tony's hand resting gently on her hip. She smiled.

_**

* * *

A/N: Please review! It's a bit shorter than normal! I will try to update tomorrow!**_


	11. Aba, Father

_**A/N: Thank you for your reviews!**_

* * *

They entered the house together. Penny ran off up to her room.

"Just going to change!" She shouted down.

Tony and Ziva were left alone together. Tony smiled at Ziva.

"Honest, it really is great to have you back, sweet cheeks." Tony brushed his fingers against the side of Ziva's face.

"Thank you, my little hairy butt." Ziva grinned.

Tony leant down and his lips brushed hers. Ziva slid her arms around Tony's waist and Tony slipped his fingers into Ziva's hair.

"Oh, please, get a room." Penina chastised as she returned into the room. Ziva and Tony let go off each other to see Penny smirking.

"You did not see that." Ziva told her sternly. Penina just grinned.

"Oh, but I did, dear sister. Anyway, I knew before."

"How?!" Ziva asked, confused.

"You pretty much talked about him all the time, Zee-Vee." Penina smiled, and entered the kitchen. Tony turned to Ziva.

"Oh really?" Tony grinned.

"I did not! Okay I did… But not really!" Ziva gave up. Tony smiled again and kissed her cheek.

"Hey, Nina, what you up to?" He asked as he entered the kitchen.

"Nina? Cool. Just getting a drink." Penny replied, smiling at him. She held up the glass as if to back up her sentence. Tony walked over and suspiciously sniffed it.

"That isn't just Coke, is it?" Tony asked her. Penina frowned.

"It is!" She protested.

"Don't lie to me." Tony ordered her.

"Medication." Penny looked away.

"For what?" Tony asked apprehensively.

"Diabetes. Type 2. I hate needles. So I take a pill instead. And it tastes bad on its on. It tastes like… Coke… when you put it with… Coke." Penina explained.

"Got it."

"Got what?" Ziva asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Uh, nothing, sweet cheeks." Tony flashed her the DiNozzo grin and she looked at him skeptically.

"Drinks?" Ziva asked, approaching a cabinet. "Wine? Whiskey? An Abby cocktail?"

"Whatever you want." Tony smiled and Ziva shrugged.

"I've take the cocktail. Abby made a load up an put them in bottle in my cabinet. Unfortunately, she 'forgot' to label them so I have to guess what alcohol I am drinking." Tony laughed.

"Yeah, she tried that on us at a Christmas party once." He grinned.

Ziva handed him a glass with had a blood red cocktail in it. Penina eyed it warily.

"Do I get one?" She asked.

"No… Oh fine, okay." Ziva passed her a quarter filled glass. This time the liquid was a more pink color. Ziva had the rest of the pink cocktail in her glass. They departed the kitchen in favor of sitting in the lounge.

Penny grabbed the remote and flicked through the channels. She ignored all the soaps, Tony noted, but stopped on Numb3rs.

"Do you have subtitles in Ivrit?" She asked Ziva, and rolled her eyes.

"You understand English!" Ziva protested and Penina sighed, but didn't go any further. Tony decided to talk to Penina.

"You have a boyfriend?" He asked her and she turned to him.

"No." She said bluntly. Ziva leant her head against Tony's shoulder and they settled back into the couch. Penny was sitting in an armchair near the couch.

"Any reason?" Tony decided to ask.

"Most of them were too scared." Penny informed him.

"Why?" Tony asked.

"I beat this guy because he said he liked me." Penina admitted.

"Uhh… Why?" Tony prompted.

"He was a total nerd who had gone out with his last girlfriend to show his mother than he wasn't an incompetent, nerdy, freak loner whose best friend is his online chess buddy." Penny complained.

"Sounds like McGee." Tony said solemnly. He doubled over as Ziva's fist came into contact with his stomach.

"That was cruel." She told him.

"So was that!" Tony squeaked. Penina stifled a laugh. They carried on talking about their lives until Ziva looked at the clock.

"Penny, you should be in bed! It's almost midnight!" Ziva exclaimed. Penina glared at her.

"You cannot tell me what to do!" Penny told Ziva,

"Actually, yes I can." Ziva replied. Penny stared at her darkly.

"You are not my mother, you cannot tell me what to do!"

"I AM your mother. I have legal custody over you!" Ziva returned.

"You are my bitch of a sister, who hides her feelings from everybody! My mother is dead!" Penina shouted, and ran off up to her room. Tony sighed. It sure was hard dealing with two hormonal women/girls.

Ziva had turned away and was curled up in the fetal position at the end of the couch. Tony stroked her hair for a while, before walking softly up the stairs. He knocked on Penina's door.

"Go away Ziva!" Penina shouted from inside.

"It's Tony." Tony informed her, and opened the door. Penny was sitting on the bed reading. He sat down at the end of the bed.

"You really hurt her back then, Nina." Tony told her. Penny glared at him.

"Not you too." She went back to reading. It was a book in Italian, he noticed.

"She was only trying to help. To help you." Tony told the fourteen year old. Penina laid her book down on the bedside table, and moved to sit next to Tony.

"Tell me I am sorry. Please." She begged.

"I think you should tell her." Tony told her. Penina sighed.

"I wish I had a father." She told him. Tony put his arm around her shoulders.

"Be glad you didn't have mine." He informed her.

"I wish you were my father, Tony."

_**

* * *

A/N: I kinda liked the ending haha so that means no one else will! Please review =]**_

_**I just finished the last episode of Season 4!! Yaay!**_


	12. Education, Education Bullshit!

_**A/N: No reviews, people! Come on! Reviews! Pleeeeeaaaaase! What do I have to do?!?!?!**_

**

* * *

Hebrew Conversation Lesson of Today****:**

**Penny**: _Shalom_

**April**: Shalom

**Penny**: _Ma shlomeh?_

**April**: Tov, v'ata?

**Penny**: _Tov toda._

* * *

"What would you do if I asked you to become Penina's father?" Ziva asked bluntly. She could feel the warmth of his body as he was spooning her. Or as she had previously thought, forked. Penina had gone to bed eventually, after a talk with Tony. Then it had started to snow, and obviously, Tony could drive home in that.

So there they were.

"I would ask why." Tony replied.

"I would reply that you are a good person. You care about people." Ziva answered, pressing herself harder against Tony.

"I would be a rubbish father." Tony told Ziva sadly. "Jeez, I wouldn't want me as a father. Let alone force it on anyone else."

"Penny needs a father figure. She likes you." Ziva said. She twisted around until she was face to face with Tony. "She needs you."

She rethought her sentence quickly.

"I need you." She whispered, and kissed him quickly on the cheek. Tony wrapped his arms around her body and smiled.

"I need you, too." Then he said three words that felt so easy to say to Ziva, yet they had been so hard to say to Jeanne. "I love you."

Ziva looked up sharply. _He __**what**__?!_

"I love you too." She realized.

They fell asleep in each other's arms with those three special words swimming around in their heads.

* * *

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Ziva called out, and Penina opened the door, to see her sister lying in bed with Tony. She grimaced.

"I thought you might want to know that it is 10AM and Gibbs just called you. I said you, me and Tony had taken the day off to go look at local schools for me. I said you must have forgotten." Ziva smiled.

"It is times like these when I can see how much we are related." Penny walked over and sat next to Ziva on the bed.

"So what is the deal with you and DiNozzo?" Penina asked. Ziva blushed slightly. "Just a one night thing? Boyfriend? Fiancé? Husband? Friend?"

"I don't know…" Ziva admitted.

"Well, boyfriend would do. Fiancé… not quite there. And husband is jumping the mark by about ten meters." Tony smirked as both girls turned to look at him.

"Boyfriend, then." Ziva clarified. Penina grinned.

"Glad that's sorted! Now, please get dressed as we're visiting some schools!" Penny grinned and danced out of the room, closing the door behind her. Ziva turned to Tony.

"Morning, sunshine." She grinned, before slipping out from under the covers and nabbing the bathroom. Tony sighed. _She always has to be first._

While Tony was having a shower, Ziva wandered down to the kitchen to fix some breakfast. She found Penina sitting, ready and waiting, at the table.

"You took ages!" Penny complained, and handed Ziva a file filled with paper. Ziva opened it hesitantly. Inside was a list of local high schools; all mixed, Ziva noted. Then there came the maps, and then a page concerning the prices etc of each school.

There was a real lot of paperwork.

"I am meant to read this… when?" Ziva asked, pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Preferably, now." Penny suggested, and Ziva rolled her eyes.

Tony entered the kitchen to see Ziva eating cereal and reading a stack of papers, while Penina watched her.

"Good morning, ladies." He smiled, and Penina looked up.

"Hi." She went back to staring at Ziva. Tony poured himself a bowl of cereal and milk and sat down next to Ziva at the table.

Suddenly, Ziva's fist came in contact with the table.

"Stop doing that!" She growled. Penina looked at her innocently.

"Doing what?" She asked angelically.

"The stary thing!" Ziva gestured with her hand which was holding the spoon. Tony watched them skeptically. He had to deal with this… all day?

Damn Gibbs for not ordering him in!

Thirty minutes later, they found themselves standing in the reception of Georgetown Day School.

Ziva looked around at the extravagantly furnished reception area. _I swear, Penina is going to spend most of her inherited money on school fees!_ Ziva thought to herself. _Thank God I am not the one paying. $15,000 a semester!_

The receptionist reception with a stack of paperwork, and handed one folder to Ziva, and the other to Penina.

"I need you to fill out these forms, please." The woman requested, and Ziva began to plough through the papers.

"Am I parent or guardian?" She asked Tony, who shrugged.

"Both… technically." He tried, and Ziva circled 'guardian.' She went though, filling out all the boxes. Penina was going to return next on Wednesday for a Taster day.

They also had free tickets to the high school's show that would be on in January. Maybe looking at schools wasn't all bad.

Ziva handed the paperwork back to the receptionist, and the headed back to the car. Next stop? British School of Washington.

At BSW, Ziva found out that she pretty much had to fill out the same forms she had completed at GDS, except since BSW had links with Queen Ethelburga's School, North Yorkshire, which was Penny's old school.

To Ziva's relief, the fees were under $11,000 per semester. _Why am I even worrying about the fees? I'm not paying… Is it because I want her to do something worthwhile with the money? School is worthwhile… _Then Ziva realized what it was.

_I don't want her to use Aba's money for something useful! Man, I can be a total bitch… Oops._

Penina would return to BSW for a Taster day on the Thursday. They went from BSW, to the Maret School, to the Edmund Burke School, and then to the Washington International School.

Penny's calendar was getting filled up with dates; GDS on Wednesday, BSW on Thursday, Maret on Tuesday, Edmund Burke on Friday and Washington International on Monday.

On the way back to the apartment Ziva's phone buzzed.

"_Shalom_?" She said,

"Ziva, I need you and Tony at the office, now." Gibbs ordered. Shutting her phone, Ziva took an illegal u-turn at the next traffic lights and headed back to base.

"Gibbs' orders." She told Tony and Penina.

_**

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! I couldn't sleep so I powered up my computer and began to write! It is 02:25… I really should sleep…**_

_**But I'm not tired!**_

_**It's like… I'm so tired that I have got past the point of being tired… Because I am so tired… I just don't feel it anymore…**_

_**Like when you are just so, so hungry you stop noticing it? Or when something hurts you stop noticing it after a while until you move it, or it gets better or worse?**_

_**Stopping babbling… NOW.**_

_**Please review!**_


	13. Where Angels Lie

_**A/N: Okay, so now it's nearing 4AM and I still can't sleep! I decided to put my time to good use and write! Please check it out!!!! I hope you like it!**_

_

* * *

DING._

Penina, Tony and Ziva walked out of the lift and into the bullpen.

"Grab your gear. There's a dead marine near Bethesda. 5972 Wilson Lane. Penina keep Abby company in the lab. McGee, DiNozzo, David, you're with me."

Penina raised her eyebrows as her sister and her three colleagues made a swift exit to the lift. She sighed, and decided she would take the stairs to Abby's lab.

**Push the moment over the edge  
Corrupt my thoughts with this greed  
Drenched in slime that oozes now  
Receptive in my natural state**

**It's simple as it used to be  
It's still how I do it now  
Covered in dreams of another existence just as fruitless**

The doors slid open and Penny entered Abby's lab. There was music booming out of the speakers; Ziva had mentioned the music when talking about 'home.' To Ziva, home was DC apparently. _Where's home for me?_ Penny thought. _Israel? Yorkshire? DC? Nowhere. Home is nowhere. I'm nobody. Nowhere for a nobody._

Abby interrupted her thinking.

"Penny!" She grinned. "What are you doing here?"

"They went to Bethesda." Penina told Abby, who looked shocked and suspicious.

"Why?" She asked.

"Dead marine." Penny told her. Abby turned back to her computer, and began typing again. "What are you doing?"

"Running some fingerprints for Director Shepard… And here she is!" Abby stopped typing to grin at Jenny.

"Hey Jen."

"Any matches?" Jenny asked, and Abby shook her head sadly.

"Not yet. Blame AFIS if it's negative." Penina look at Abby, confused.

"What is a fiss?" She asked.

"A-F-I-S." Jenny told her. "It stands for Automated Fingerprint Identification System."

"Am I on there?" Penny asked, and Jenny frowned.

"No. You aren't a US citizen yet. Why, have you committed any crimes recently?" Penina laughed and Jenny smiled.

"No… not yet… Although next week may be different."

"What is happening next week?" Jenny and Abby asked simultaneously.

"Taster Days. One for every day of the week." Penina explained. They nodded understandably.

"I went dressed normally… normally for me anyway… to a taster day. I refused to ever go near the school again." Abby sighed.

**Push the moment over the edge  
Corrupt my thoughts with this greed  
Situations demand deception**

**Living this lie is so becoming  
It's precious as this scenery  
Vacant as my memory**

"I like how you dress!" Penny grinned. Abby was wearing a vintage looking dark red and black striped top with a skull on it, which was surrounded with the words: Too fast to live, too young to die. Penina could make a connection with Abby's speech. She was also wearing a short red tartan mini-skirt with black ribbons.

In contrast, Jenny was wearing a cobalt blue suit, and Penina was wearing camouflage cargo pants, a white tee shirt with the Mossad logo and "MOSSAD" on it in blue, and a hoodie with 'Follow the sun to Israel' emblazoned over ישראל. ISRAEL.

Penina's wardrobe consisted mostly of cargo pants (in many colors), tee-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, tank tops and a selection of gun holsters, and weapon garters. For some reason, she had a Tel Aviv University tee shirt, which one of her Israeli friends had given her on one of her rare visits to Israel.

As her father had given her a credit card to buy clothes on, she had used it online and had an extensive collection of Israeli Army tee shirts in her wardrobe, as well as knives, guns, pepper spray, holsters and other such things.

The five things she always carried was the knife strapped to her right thigh, the penknife in her pocket, the pepper spray pen, the pepper spray on a keyring and the Beretta strapped to her left thigh. It had been hard getting in past customs, but she had managed. At least they had stopped with the shoe searching…

_BEEP._

"Woah, Jen, you are so getting like Gibbs. Almost. The find came a bit today… but I'm sure you can build on it. Anyway, his name is Elliott Vittorio. I will just forward all this up to you and then you can do whatever it is you do nowadays." Abby turned around. "I knew it."

"Knew what?" Penina asked.

"They always disappear. Anyway, at least you are still here!" Penny grinned.

"Now what do we do?" Abby hesitated.

"Uh, not much. We wait for Gibbs, or McGee, or Tony, or even Ziva to bring me the evidence from the crime scene. Well, that is was is meant to happen. Generally. Although sometimes I have something else to get onto doing. Anyway, do you want a snack?" Penina chuckled.

"Yes please." They walked out of the lab and into the elevator.

_DING._

Penina hit the top left corner of the machine with the heel of her hand and a bar of chocolate fell out. She did it again, picked them out and handed one to Abby.

"How do you know where to hit it?" Abby asked through a chocolaty mouthful.

"Tony." Penina replied. Abby nodded understandingly.

"So, can you do… like… Ziva moves?" Abby asked. In return to Penina's confused look she added: "You know! The kicks, the nose breaking, the fast sprinting… All of that!"

"Yeah, kind of. I'm a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and when I went to Israel it was only for training for when I went into Mossad really. And I did judo and karate. I was on the athletics teams too. And every summer I did a Survival camp. Once I did a Survival training thingy in Belize. It was fun!" Penny grinned. Abby smiled back, and took another bite of chocolate,

"Have you ever been to America before?" She asked, and Penina shook her head.

"No, never." Abby gasped in mock shock.

"OH. MY. GOD. I have to take you to see the Lincoln War Memorial, the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, and the Tomb of an Unknown Soldier, the Washington Monument and Potomac Mills Outlet Mall!" Abby carried on babbling about all the shopping and monuments in DC.

_DING._

The lift doors opened to reveal Gibbs, Tony, Ziva and a sopping wet McGee.

_**

* * *

A/N: The next chapter will explain… IF YOU REVIEW!!!!**_

_**Please people! Begging here now! I would really, really like **__**some**__** reviews, you know. They motivate me! I've been losing some of my NCIS buzz… it is your fault! Please review.**_

_**

* * *

The song Abby is listening to is '**Where Angels Lie**' by **_**Android Lust**_**.  
**_


	14. Bela Bellissima

_**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Now, just keep it up!! Please =] I hoped you would like the cliffhanger… =P**_

* * *

Abby and Penina ran over to the trio.

"Tim! What happened?" Abby asked, shocked.

"Tony happened." McGee growled, before stomping off to have a shower and get some dry clothes.

"Tony, what did you do?" Penina asked, and Tony chuckled.

"Well… He was trying to fish a gun out of a river, but the pole wouldn't reach… So I offered to help and held onto him but then he lent just a bit too far… And I let go. By accident!" Tony smirked and Gibbs head-slapped him. "Boss!"

"Liar, DiNozzo." Tony looked shocked.

"Why am I a liar?" He asked.

"It was not by accident. We were there… remember?" Gibbs smiled and walked off to his desk.

"What's the case?" Penny asked, and Tony looked over to Gibbs for approval.

"You can tell her." Gibbs told him, and Tony turned back to Penny.

"Some kids were panning for gold in the river and one of them found an NCIS badge. Then they found the body." Tony informed her.

"You get gold in your rivers?!" Penny asked, seemingly unaffected by the story.

"Not real gold." Tony admitted.

"Then why were they… panning for it? What is panning?"

"I'll explain later." Tony told her. "Can you take this down to Abs please?"

He handed her a box and Penny walked off to the elevators.

**I stand corrected  
Guess it just wasn't meant to be  
I know i am maladjusted crush  
What's inside of me  
I know of no remedy  
I know not how to cease this  
Feeling of hate in me**

Android Lust blasted out of the speakers in Abby's lab as the door opened.

"Hey Abs!" Penina called out. "Abby!"

Abby turned and took the box off of her.

"Thanks!" She shouted over the music. Penina walked over to the speakers and turned it down.

"Can I show you what music I like?" She asked, and Abby music over to let Penny at the computer.

Penina typed something in to a site that Abby recognized as YouTube. YouTube… in Hebrew…

A song came up, titled "בלה בליסימה." Abby frowned. You what?! The song began playing and Penny started to sing along too. She had a very nice voice, Abby noticed. It was very similar to Ziva's, when Abby had heard her singing before.

**Yom shlishi, shteim-esreh bemai, 1992  
yotzet ishah mibeitah biy'rushalaim  
yom ragil standarti lo meyuchad k'mo kol hayamim  
pul yeladim barechovot haytah sh'vitat morim  
be'otah sha'ah mamash mechabel ne'elach  
mashlich sakin mit'bach itah dakar shnei ne'arim chafim  
od pigu'a metoraf achzari  
od pigu'a le'umani**

Abby couldn't tell what was going on in the song, but the tune was nice. She recognized it from somewhere…

"That's Ziva's favorite song!" She exclaimed and Penina abruptly stopped singing.

"Really?" She asked, and Abby nodded.

"Yeah, it's on her iPod!" Abby grinned and Penina smiled.

"How about this song?"

**Shalom salaam peace  
Shalom salaam peace  
Shalom salaam peace efshari gam kan  
lo rak beParis o beNice o beAbeba Adis -  
kotekim mele'im anashim  
kulam dancing ki kulam mabsutim  
mechaychkim rokdim sharim  
beshalom mevar'chim  
ki yesh  
Shalom salaam peace  
Shalom salaam peace**

"Nice! I haven't heard that one…" Abby told Penina, who smiled.

"Maybe I can convert you to HaDag Nachash?" She asked, and Abby chuckled.

"No chance. I am more a… Android Lust, Dominic Kelly and Celldweller person really." Abby admitted. "Do you have an iPod?"

"No, but I have an iPhone." Penina smiled at Abby, who stared back.

"Unfair! I want one!" Abby complained. "See? Look."

Penina looked at Abby's phone. It wasn't too bad. It did look a bit outdated… Penny quickly typed something into the search engine. Again, Abby was stumped at what she was doing as it was in Hebrew.

_But I don't have a Hebrew keyboard…_ Abby thought, and then noticed how Penina was holding down the Alt key and pressing certain numbers. _She knows the Hebrew alphabet by the ALT KEY?!_

A picture popped up and Penina showed it to Abby. It was called a "Samsung Behold" and the color was apparently "Espresso."

"Awesome!" Abby exclaimed. "But it's $150. I've already bought too many CDs this month!"

"I could get it for you." Penina pointed out. Abby stared at her.

"No. Way. I will not let you buy me a cell phone!" Penina looked at her confusedly.

"Why ever not?" She asked, and Abby rolled her eyes.

"It would be like… like… well it wouldn't be right!" She protested, then looked at the computer screen.

The screen now read "purchase confirmed."

"You didn't…" Abby said, and Penina smiled.

"I did. Look, I was totally spoilt. I never saw my family; I spent most of the holidays at summer camp or still at school, so my dad just pretty much paid me off. I save up the money I didn't use for something useful. Useful Item Numero Uno. Anyway, it makes me feel better about gate crashing my sister's life." Penny pointed out and Abby smiled.

"Well… Thanks." She didn't know what to say. She couldn't say she didn't want it; that would be plain cruel. And anyway, what is done is done… right?

The door slid open to reveal Ziva.

"Hey Abs." She smiled. "Hey Penny. What are you two doing?"

"I was showing Penina the fingerprint stuff." Abby told her, and began to process all the evidence that Penina had given her.

They all began to chat, and eventually the doors slid open again.

"Gibbs!" Abby smiled. "But I don't have anything for you…"

_BEEP._

"Okay, so I do. Whatever. Ooh, so the fingerprints belong to a Sylvia Pittman of 1460 Northwest Boulevard. Convicted three years ago for internet fraud… Hey! Where did he go?" Abby turned round to see that Gibbs was gone, Penina and Ziva with him.

"I really wish they would stop doing that!" Abby complained.

_**

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A/N: Aaw poor Abby keeps getting left behind!! Please review!**_

_**The songs:**_

**Stained**, _Android Lust_

**Bela Bellissima**, _HaDag Nachesh_ (Ziva is listening to this song in 5.03 Ex-File when she comes out of the elevator.)

**Shalom Salaam Peace**, _HaDag Nachesh_

_**ALSO**_

_**Listen to:**_

הדג נחש - שירת הסטיקר (The Sticker Song, _HaDag Nachesh_) הדג נחש – מספרים (Numbers, _HaDag Nachesh_)


	15. Cherished Agony

_**A/N: Thanks for all the amazing reviews! Keep it up!!!**_

* * *

"So here we are." Ziva smiled encouragingly at Penina, who looked back at her.

"Oh, yippee." Penina replied.

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit." Tony pointed out, and Penina rolled her eyes.

"At least I can spell wit." She retorted.

"Feisty." Tony replied, and Penina glared at him.

_BUZZ_

Ziva glanced at her phone.

_1 New Message from Abby Sciuto_

_Sciuto __1 _חדש מתוך הודעה אבי

Ziva opened the message.

**Wish Penny luck for me! Abby x**

Ziva sighed. She knew she shouldn't feel like this, but it felt like Penina was taking her friends away from her. It seemed such a childish thought… But that's what it was like.

"Abby wishes you luck." She informed Penina.

"Say thanks for me!" Penny replied, smiling. Ziva rolled her eyes, but keyed in the text anyway.

**She says thanks. Z**

"Ready?" She asked Penina, who shrugged.

"As ready as I ever will be." She decided. The trio walked into Washington International School together.

"Good morning." The receptionist greeted them. "Penina David, yes?"

Penny nodded, and the receptionist picked up some paper off of her desk and handed them to Penina.

"This is your timetable for today, Penina. You will be with 9F today. Here is a yearbook for 9F so you can recognise some people. Yisraela Azzopardi will be looking after you today." Penina frowned. Her same sounded Hebrew… Why did she have to have someone who spoke Hebrew looking after her? She could speak fluent Hebrew, English, German, Spanish and French! Not fair at all.

"I will take you to your class now, if that is okay?" The receptionist checked with Penny, who smiled brightly.

"Of course." As the receptionist led her through the door, Penina flashed a long suffering expression to Ziva, who chuckled.

The receptionist knocked on the classroom door, and then opened it. The teacher was in the middle of calling out names for registration. He halted in mid flow and looked up.

"Ah, you must be Penina. Welcome to 9F." He smiled encouragingly, and the receptionist patted Penina's shoulder and departed. Penny put on her most confident look and tried to ignore the stares from everyone.

"Hi." She smiled.

"Would you like to take a seat?" He asked, and Penina nodded. There were a few spare chairs, but most of the people sitting next to them looked slightly strange.

There was one guy who looked like a total nerd and one girl who looked depressed who was biting her nails.

"You can sit here, if you like." A guy called out to her, and Penina smiled at him. She walked over and sat down in the spare chair. He looked pretty normal… Penina wondered why he was sitting alone.

"My friend normally sits there but he's off ill." He explained.

"Oh right. I'm Penina." Penina smiled.

"I'm Jesse Herrera." Jesse smiled too.

Penina tried to listen to the names on role call and associate them with the person answering.

"Côté Fernandez?" A tan girl with long, wavy brown hair. "Jesse Herrera?"

"Alejandro Jackson?" A good-looking guy who had winked at Penina when she had entered the classroom.

"James Jansen?" A tall guy with shoulder length black hair, who reminded Penina slightly of Raphael Nadal.

"Boris Jaworski?" The nerdy guy.

"Iona Kaiser?" The depressed girl who was still biting her fingernails.

"Camilla Korhonen?" A pretty blond girl wearing a short skirt.

"Louisa Meijer?" A petite girl with a light brunette bob.

"Clark Ramirez?" A blond guy with his arm around Camilla's waist.

"Antonio Romano?" An obviously Italian boy with cropped brown hair and a cute face.

"Taylor Santos?" A beautiful girl with waist length curly blond hair.

The roll call ended, and everyone got up and surrounded Penina and Jesse.

"I'm Côté." The girl with long brown hair introduced herself. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Yisraela." The girl who was supposedly looking after Penina greeted her.

"Ha'eem ata me'daber Ivrit?" Penina asked, and most people looked at her blankly.

"Ken. Ani m'daber Ivrit, Germanit, Aravit, Tzarfatit v'anglit." Yisraela replied and Penina smiled.

"Tov!" Then she reverted to speaking English as the rest of the group were listening intently, trying to work out what they were saying. "Sorry, Hebrew is my first language."

"Awesome! Where did you live before?" Antonio asked.

"I lived in Israel but I was sent away to an English boarding school. Now I live here with my sister." Penina explained.

"Where do your parents live?" Camilla asked, and Penina's face fell. She stared blankly back at the peroxide blond girl.

"They died." Penina said in a monotone voice.

"Oh… I'm sorry." Camilla stared at the floor. "I didn't mean… I didn't know… I'm sorry."

"It's okay. It isn't your fault." Penina assured, and then swore. "Hamas bastards."

"You what?" Louisa asked, confused.

"It isn't your fault. It is Hamas' fault. Hamas Zayinat." Penina's face was angry, and Jesse put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. Penina's face grew expressionless again and she sighed. "I'm sorry. It's still a bit… fresh. My father… my aunt… my mother… they all died… were murdered… they passed away five months ago."

"Oh my gosh." Taylor's mouth hung open at Penina's story. "I'm so sorry!"

Penina smiled weakly, but her eyes flashed with anger.

"Hamas will be." Penina's mouth twisted into a villainous smile.

"So, what's your sister like?" Alejandro asked, breaking the moment. Penina successfully made her face expressionless again. She sure was making an impact.

"She's twenty-nine, and her name is Ziva. She was a liaison officer from Mossad but now she works for NCIS. She… looks pretty much like an older version of me." Penina answered. "Well, now she's technically my mom… Hear me out first."

People were beginning to look slightly creeped out.

"She is my half-sister. She is my only family left. I would be adopted or go into care, but she adopted me as her daughter so that wouldn't happen. I'm grateful to her for stopping that…" Penina sighed. Her life sure was hard to explain.

The bell rang.

_Saved by the bell,_ Penina thought as she headed off to English.

_**

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A/N: Okay, so it's kinda Penina revolved at the moment, but I need to explain some stuff before I carry on. We will get back to major Tiva plot-ness soon! I promise!**_

_**Please review!**_


	16. Soccer, Côté and Parents

_**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! I went skiing today =D not the real stuff, the meshy dry slope stuff. I almost passed level one =[ Almost. I'm going again tomorrow, yaay!**_

* * *

Last lesson of the day; P.E.

They were playing soccer, apparently. Penina smiled to herself. _This should be fun_, she thought.

She followed Yisraela into the girls' changing rooms. There were separate cubicles for them to change in, she noted. In her school back in England it had been group changing.

She locked the door of the cubicle next to Yisraela and speedily got changed into her old PE kit, which consisted of a white shirt embroidered with her house, a blue skort, shin pads, yellow knee socks and metal studded soccer boots. She felt like an idiot; at least at Queen Ethelburga's everyone else had to wear the uniform too.

She stepped out of the cubicle and walked out of the changing rooms and into the seating area where they had been instructed to wait for Coach O'Reilly. The only other person there was Boris Jaworski, as he had given in a note to get out of soccer.

"Hi." she said, but he simply ignored her. She sighed. She couldn't be bothered to try again if he was just going to ignore her.

Five minutes later, Côté sat down next to Penina.

"Hey." Côté greeted her.

"Hi!" Penina replied brightly.

"You're a quick changer!" Côté commented and Penina smiled.

"Survival Training every summer. It was either change fast of have a bucket of ice water poured over your head." Côté instinctively shivered.

"That sucks." she stated, and Penina nodded.

"Totally! So, what is O'Reilly like?" Penina asked.

"She is a she… She's kinda strict but she's fair." Côté told Penina.

"O'Reilly is me." Penina and Côté turned to see the Coach smiling jovially at them.

"Good afternoon." Penina said politely.

"Coach O'Reilly." She proffered a hand, and Penina shook it. "You must be Penina?"

"Yes, that's me." Penny smiled.

"Did you play soccer at your old school?" O'Reilly asked, and Penina nodded.

"Yes. I was on the Under 15's team." Penina grinned. Her favorite sports were soccer, netball, rounders and tennis.

"Great!" Everyone else had arrived out from the changing rooms by now. "Run twice around the pitch everyone!"

Most people groaned, but Côté and Penina sprinted off. Côté was the 10,000m champion in the district, but Penina kept up perfect pace with her.

"Normally I end up running on my own!" Côté laughed as they began the second lap.

"Same!" Penina exclaimed. "Bye guys!"

They sprinted past the main body of their class.

"We lapped them!" Côté exclaimed, and collapsed onto the grass laughing, as they waited for their classmates to join them. Eventually they did. Alejandro sat down next to Penina.

"Jeez girl, slow down!" He laughed and Penina smirked.

"Sorry you couldn't keep up! Did we set our pace a bit too fast for you?" She said in a patronizing tone. Côté chuckled.

"Stretches!" The coach called, and everyone stood up and began to stretch.

Coach O'Reilly paired them up, and Penina was paired with Côté.

They began with some simple drills, and then the pairs were combined so there were two teams.

Côté, Penina, Alejandro, Taylor, Antonio, Yisraela and James were teamed up, and Coach O'Neill handed them a stack of blue bibs.

"Attack?" Côté asked, taking charge and holding up the left and rights. Penina put up her hand and so did Alejandro. "Right or left?"

"Right, please." Penina requested at the same time as Alejandro said:

"Left!" They laughed as they both got the positions they wanted.

"Mid-field?" Côté brandished two more bibs.

"I will." Taylor offered.

"Can I be mid-field?" Côté asked and everyone nodded.

"Sure, I would like to be defense." James said.

"Who is going to be goalie?" Yisraela asked. "If no one else wants to, may I?"

"Sure." Antonio shrugged. "I wanna be left defense if that's cool with you guys."

Côté handed out the preferred bibs to everyone.

"Sorted!" She exclaimed in surprise. Normally it took ages to get through the bickering over which positions. They could hear the other team arguing for the positions they wanted.

"That worked." Penina laughed. Finally, the other team resigned to the positions they had been given. Iona was looking severely pissed off with her team.

Once they were in their positions, the blue team was given the first center as they had the visitor. Coach O'Reilly blew the whistle and the game started.

Côté kicked the ball to Taylor who deftly dribbled it past Camilla. Taylor passed to Penina who was in turn tackled by Jesse. Penina hooked the ball up with her foot and out of Jesse's way, and then kicked it off to Alejandro who easily scored past Iona.

"High five!" Alejandro held up his hand and Penina slapped it, grinning.

"Nice one!" Côté grinned at Alejandro.

Clark took the centre, and kicked it to Camilla. Camilla fumbled the ball and Taylor tackled her for it and soon the blue team was up 3 to nothing.

Côté was tackling a girl called Mia for the ball, when Antonio ran over to try and intercept. He attempted to hook the ball with his foot like Penina had done, but instead high kicked the ball to the center and tripping himself and Côté up.

"God you weigh a ton, Tony!" Côté exclaimed, pushing him off of her, laughing.

"Sorry." Antonio's cheeks were flushed a bright scarlet. Penina eyed the duo, with a smile on her face.

Eventually, the blue team won 16 to 1, mostly due to Côté and Penina, and also the fact that Iona who was the red team's goalie had not wanted to play so she didn't attempt to stop any goals.

Penina joined Côté on walking back to the changing rooms.

"You like Antonio, yes?" She asked bluntly. Côté blushed.

"Uh… Don't tell him anything!" Penina took the answer for a yes.

"He likes you." she informed Côté, who smiled.

"Really? I didn't think he would… I mean I'm not like pretty or anything." Côté frowned, and Penina was shocked. Côté was so pretty it was unfair!

"How can you say that?" Penina asked, and Côté chuckled.

"Easily."

"I give up! I bet all the girls who come here take one look at you and take a major hit on their self esteem!" Penina exclaimed. "See you in a minute."

Côté and Penina split their different ways to get changed. Penina was out in a few minutes, and wandered over to Coach O'Reilly.

"How do I get to reception?" she asked, and the coach smiled.

"I'll take you there as I'm going that way." Coach O'Reilly led Penina over the basketball court to enter the back of the school. As they entered the reception area the bell rang. Tony and Ziva were already waiting for Penina there.

They saw a happy Penny with flushed cheeks. She looked like she had had an amazing time.

"You have an amazing soccer player here." Coach O'Reilly smiled, before signing her name in the book on the receptionist's desk. "Bye, Rachel."

"See you tomorrow, Samantha!" The receptionist, Rachel, called after the coach.

"How was your day?" Ziva asked, and Penina linked arms with her sister and Tony.

"It was amazing, Mom!"

_**

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A/N: Aaaw, Penina called Ziva mom =D I was happy when writing that lol**_

_**I was writing while listening to Picture to Burn and Shirat Hastiker =]**_

_**Please review!!!!**_


	17. Yom Holedet Sameach

_WRITTEN ON SATURDAY 21st - SUNDAY 22nd FEBRUARY_

_NO UPDATES DUE TO NO LOGIN POSSIBLE._

_**

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A/N: Thank for all your reviews! I'm watching Cover Story with my mate April =] We're having a slumber party after we went to this girl's ice skating party =] April is sitting next to me complaining about how it isn't a "slumber party" that it is a "sleepover." Whatever.**_

_

* * *

Six Months Later_

"Morning birthday girl!" Ziva opened the door, balancing a birthday cake with 15 candles on it in one hand.

"Morning, Ima!" Penina grinned. _Fifteen at last!_ She was having a birthday party in two hours, with some friends from her new school.

Six months ago, she had just arrived in the US of A. Now she was enrolled in Washington International, and it was her fifteenth birthday.

She yawned and stretched.

"What's for breakfast?" she asked, sliding ungracefully out of bed and onto her knees on the floor before getting up and wandering over to the bathroom. Ziva heard the sound of the shower being turned on.

"Waffles." she called.

"With chocolate sauce?" Penina asked, poking her head around the doorframe of the en-suite.

"And maple syrup." Ziva smiled, before leaving the room to go make the breakfast.

Penina grinned, before stripping off and stepping into the shower.

Fifteen minutes later, Penina arrived downstairs with sodden hair that was still dripping down her back. It had begun to curl slightly but was still an almost black dark-brown color.

"Do you ever use a hair dryer?" Ziva asked, and Penina chuckled.

"Nope, it makes my hair go frizzy." she explained, as Ziva slid three hot waffles onto Penina's plate. Penina smiled as she took the proffered chocolate sauce.

"Toda raba." Ziva raised her eyebrows and Penina swiftly corrected herself. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Ziva placed a glass of red grape juice in front of Penina and grabbed a cup of jasmine tea for herself. She sat down opposite Penina.

"Excited?" she asked, and Penina grinned.

"Yeah! I never got a proper party before. All I had was what my dorm mates could come up with at short notice, which was generally a take-out from the local Chinese or Thai restaurant." Penina finished off her waffles as Ziva eyed her daughter while she sipped at her tea.

About two hours later, the doorbell rang. Penina ran back into the house from the garden where she and Ziva had been practicing knife throwing. She yanked open the door.

"Alex!" She exclaimed, seeing Alejandro standing on the steps in front of her.

"Happy birthday, Penny." Alejandro leant forward and kissed her on the cheek. Penina smiled, happily surprised. From near the stairs, Ziva observed the pair and her lips twitched into a smile. She remembered when Alejandro had last been at their house; she remembered how they had each looked at each other, especially when they believed that the other person was looking away.

They closed the door and headed towards her.

"Hi Mrs. David!" Alejandro smiled, but Ziva frowned. Alejandro quickly realized his mistakes. "Miss David!"

Ziva chuckled as the doorbell was rung for a second time. Penina pulled it open.

"Taylor! Côté!" Penina smiled, and the girls air kissed each others' cheeks. Penina saw the dark haired Italian approaching from behind Côté, one finger up against his lips. Penina pretended that she hadn't seen him.

"ARGH!" Côté screamed, as Antonio tickled her from behind. Penina burst out laughing, and so did Taylor, Alejandro and Ziva. Côté glared at Anthony, but then started to laugh too.

"Where is Jesse, Tay?" Penina asked, and Taylor shrugged.

"How should I know where Mr. Tardiness is?" she asked.

"Well… He is your boyfriend so he might have told you." Penina shrugged too. "I guess he is always late…"

"Here is the man himself." Ziva saw Jesse cycling around the corner, and he arrived, sweaty and panting.

"What happened to the idea of a car?" Alejandro grinned, and Jesse rolled his eyes.

"It broke down on the darned freeway, so Madre made me walk home and cycle!" he complained. Penina jumped down the steps and took the bike from Jesse, and carried it into the garage. Jesse called after her. "Show-off!"

Penina chuckled as she dusted her hand of and returned to the group.

"Everyone ready?" Ziva asked, and everyone nodded. There was the sound of a car approaching and the squeal of brakes as it stopped. Everyone turned to see a black Ferrari 911. The door opened.

"Are you guys coming?" Tony called.

"Girls with me, boys with Tony?" Ziva asked, and everyone nodded their agreement, and then split their ways.

Half an hour later, they arrived at their destination. Penina had kept where they were going a surprise, only telling them to bring sneakers, long sleeves, trousers and for anyone with long hair to have it tied back. She had also told them to bring a towel and a change of clothes.

"Where are we?" Taylor asked, and Penina chuckled.

"You will find out soon enough!" She saw Tony and the boys approaching. "Hey, Tony, new car?"

"Hell yeah! You like it?" Penina grinned.

"Totally! I'm coming with you on the way back!" Tony chuckled.

"Are we going?" Penina slipped her arm through Tony's, and took Alejandro's hand too. Everyone else followed on afterwards. They walked for about fifteen minutes before they reached a small hut. A large sign announced:

**Camp Cameron**

"What's Camp Cameron?" Jesse asked.

"It is a NCIS training camp." Penina explained. "They have assault courses, climbing walls, high rope courses, and loads more. We get to choose what we do and when we do it."

"Awesome!" Côté exclaimed, grinning.

They entered the hut, and were greeted by Gibbs and Jenny.

"Uncle Gibbs! Auntie Jenny!" Penny grinned and hugged both of them.

"Hey girl." Gibbs affectionately ruffled her hair. "We gave Ziva your presents and McGee and Abby said sorry that they can't be here but Abby says that she has that very special voucher for you. Anything I want to know about?"

"Uh… no. You don't need to know about mine and Abs' special voucher…" Penina replied quickly. Gibbs chuckled softly, and laid out a map on the table. He smoothed it down with the back of his hand, and pointed to each section of Camp Cameron.

"Assault Course 1. Assault Course 2. Assault Course 3. Easy Climbing Wall. Hard Climbing Wall. Bouldering Wall. Low Ropes Course. Zip Wire 1. Zip Wire 2. Zip Wire 3. Zip Wire 4. Zip Wire 5. High Ropes Course 1. High Ropes Course 2. Kayaking. Toilets, showers. Restaurant."

"What do you want to do first?" Penina asked. "Lunch?"

She received an assortment of replies.

"Lunch!"

"Rock climbing!"

"Zip Wire!"

"Lunch!"

"Kayaking!"

"I guess we'll have lunch then." Tony said, and Côté, Taylor and Alejandro sighed. "Come on!"

Gibbs led the party off to the restaurant, with Jenny following behind with Tony and Ziva.

"So, have you two set a date yet?" Tony asked, and Jenny chuckled.

"Not yet. We were thinking maybe July or August-time…" Jenny informed him. Ziva smiled.

"So, will McGee's program become true?" she asked, remembering McGee's parent merging program. Jenny pretended to look shocked, but then laughed.

"That is for you to find out… in eight months."

_**

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A/N: Ooh! Okay so this is cramming six months into one chapter… But I hoped you would like it that way! **__**I kinda liked my little cliffhanger… do you?**_

**Quote of the Day:**

**McGee**: He comes here to clear his head. Afterwards he always feels better.

**Gibbs**: Not always. _(Stares down at dead body.)_

**McGee**: That's him. Petty Office Cove.

**Ziva**: _(Off-side)_ Then who is this?

**McGee**: _(Walks over and looks at body)_ Stewart Brenner. That's another character from my book…

_**OMG! It's 00:14! But her parents switched off the internet so I can't post until tomorrow morning. No fair.**_

_**

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**_

_**Wednesday 25th:**_

_**Heyy! Sorry for no updates but that's because of the annoying fan fiction . net no login thingy going on.**_

_**The NCIS CD is out!!! It's on my iPod!**_

_**Love you all =]**_

_**Please review!**_


	18. Tarzan!

_**A/N: Sorry for no updates, but I've been hard pressed for time. I've had so much homework, netball matches and loads of other stuff, that it wasn't a top priority. We also have to pick our options for GCSE…**_

_**Please read and review!**_

* * *

"AGH!" Alejandro cried as he got yanked back by his safety rope. He winced as the harness gave him a major wedgie. Penina burst out laughing as he hung in mid-air. Alejandro glared at her, but she just carried on laughed. "Well help me then!"

"Whatever." Penina lightly jumped through the high ropes, swinging over to where Alejandro's rope had got hooked around a pole. She pulled it off of the pole, and Alejandro yelped at the tension in the rope was let out and he dropped about three feet. He grabbed onto a rope and pulled himself up again.

"Thanks for that." He informed Penina sarcastically, who simply smirked. Everyone was in pairs for the high ropes; Côté and Antonio, Taylor and Jess, Ziva and Tony and Penina and Alejandro. Gibbs was waiting with Jenny, and said that he might join them for zip wire. Jenny said that she would only join them for kayaking. Penina had wondered why.

Penina attached herself to the wiring of the Tarzan Swing and balanced on the edge of the wooden ledge, her toes over the edge. Alejandro clipped himself just behind her.

"Grab hold of my waist." She said, and Alejandro raised his eyebrows.

"No way." He chuckled. Penina pouted.

"Aw, come on! Are you scared…?" She knew that Alejandro hated being called scared, and he would generally rise to a challenge.

"Of course not! I have Penina-phobia! Wait, that means I'm scared of you, which I'm not. Oh fine then." Penina chuckled as Alejandro took hold of her waist. She heard him mutter something behind her. It sounded significantly like: "Crazy Israeli chick."

She leaned further over the edge, and then took a small step back. Alejandro was just about to ask her if she was too scared to jump off of the black level Tarzan Swing, when she took a mini run up and leaped off the ledge, with Alejandro clinging onto her. They swung and she grabbed hold of the net and the other side. Alejandro took hold of the net too.

Penina scrambled up the net to the next platform, which would take them to the zip wire that ended that set of high-ropes. Alejandro followed a bit more slowly. By the time he arrived at where she was waiting, she was clipped onto the zip wire. He crossed his arms and waited.

"Watch." Penina ordered, holding onto his shoulder and flipping herself upside-down. Alejandro looked at her skeptically. What on earth was she doing? She pushed herself away from him, which set her spinning down the 500m zip wire upside-down.

Alejandro tentatively clipped himself onto the zip-wire. He waited for the shout for her to reach the ground, and it soon came. He had decided not to do a "Penina" and just took a few steps backwards. He took a running leap and Tarzan-swung off the ledge and down the zip-wire. He heard Penina cheer, and chuckled.

As soon as Alejandro had unclipped himself from the zip-wire, Penina high-fived him.

"_Tov_!" She complimented, and Alejandro had laughed.

"Crazy ninja monkey." He commented, and Penina chuckled.

"Raised like it. I mean, look what my sister turned out like. My mom. Whatever." Alejandro smiled. He couldn't imagine his sister being his mom. Especially as his sister was three… But that didn't count.

They made their way back up the track to where Gibbs and Jenny were waiting at the restaurant. Penina slid onto the seat next to Jenny, so Alejandro sat down next to Gibbs.

"How was it?" Gibbs asked, and Penina grinned.

"Awesome!" Gibbs chuckled at the two teenager's flushed faces.

"Did she do any crazy tricks?" He asked Alejandro, who laughed.

"Are we talking about Penina? Of course she did." Alejandro grinned, and then winced as Penina's foot came in contact with his shin. He glared at her, but she smiled innocently back.

"Including…?" Jenny prompted him.

"Making me jump off the black Tarzan Swing with her…" Jenny laughed at Alejandro's tone. She liked the boy; he was good for Penina. "Going down the last zip wire upside-down and spinning… Doing a back-flip down one of the Spiral Holes… And many more scarily strange antics that I forgot."

"Sounds just like Penina." Jenny commented, as she saw Côté and Antonio heading toward them. Antonio sat down next to Alejandro. Côté stayed standing and beckoned Penina over. They began to whisper conspiratorially. Jenny, Gibbs and Alejandro wondered what was going on. Antonio knew, oh, too well.

The two girls walked off to the toilets so they could talk in private, without anyone else hearing.

"He what?!" Penina exclaimed, her jaw hanging open.

"Not so loud!" Côté hissed. Her cheeks were flushed red. She had just been about to go down the last zip wire, when Antonio had caught her wrist. She had turned, to find out what had happened and…

"He kissed you? Woah! That is so awesome!" Penina grinned. She knew that Côté had had a crush on Antonio long before she, Penina, had joined Washington International. Côté smiled, her eyes fixated on the floor. "Are you two going to go out now?"

"I don't know…" Côté hesitated, and Penina rolled her eyes.

"Oh. My. God! You have to! You two are so perfectly cute together!" Penina gushed, and Côté laughed.

"What's going on here?" The heard a voice behind them, and Côté turned and hugged Taylor, grinning.

"He kissed me!" She said, and Taylor grinned too.

"That's so cute! I wondered why you two didn't get together back in 7th." Taylor said tactfully. Côté pretended to be shocked.

"Oh shut up, you. We'd be getting back, they'll be wondering where we got to."

"I don't know if I did the right thing…" Antonio said to Alejandro, looking very worried. Alejandro patted his shoulder.

"You two are meant for each other!" He replied, using a phrase he never thought that he would use. "Don't worry about it."

Antonio sighed, and the two boys headed back to the table, to find that the three girls had returned, and Jesse was sitting with them also. They slid back into their places, as they waited for Ziva and Tony.

"I bet you Tony got stuck." Penina guessed. Gibbs chuckled.

"Wouldn't surprise me." Penina laughed at the remark, and then saw Tony and Ziva heading toward them.

"_Ima_!" Penina shouted. Ziva smiled, and Gibbs walked over to them and head-slapped Tony.

"DiNozzo! Where have you been?" He asked, and Tony winced. Ziva replied for him.

"He got stuck on the zip wire." She explained, and Tony glared at her. She smirked back.

"I told you!" Penina chortled at the wounded expression on Tony's face. "Don't worry about your reputation; I don't think you had one in the first place."

Tony ruffled her hair affectionately. He liked Penina; she had a good character and was similar to Ziva in many ways.

_Pretty._

_Good sense of humor._

_Had issues with American idioms._

_Flirtatious with the guys._

_You couldn't help but like her._

_A quick temper._

_A great clothes sense._

_Looked beautiful in blue._

_Had amazing hair._

_Amazing fighter._

_Brave._

**Crazy Israeli ninja chick.**

_**

* * *

A/N: I decided to end on that note. Next chapter is them singing happy birthday etc, then Ziva, Tony and Penina's dinner together, with a very, very big surprise!**_

_**Quotes of the Day:**_

**Tony**: Nice girl. Wasn't my type though.  
**Ziva**: Really? She was breathing.  
**Tony**: Ha! Well I have standards, Ziva, otherwise I'd be dating you.

**Ziva**: You're xenophobic!  
**Tony**: I am not xenophobic, that's one of my favorite shows! Leather skirts, lesbian sword fighting, female empowerment. Maybe I am little Ziva-phobic.  
**Ziva**: Do you see what I see?  
**Tony**: Crazy Israeli chick with impulse issues?

**McGee**: Just push the buttons I tell you to push monkey.  
**Tony**: Love is not treating you well my friend.  
**McGee**: Yeah, no kidding.

_(McGee walks in wearing sunglasses)_  
**Tony**: Wait a second. I know that look. You had sex, and I am guessing it was with a girl.  
**McGee**: No..  
**Tony**: No it wasn't a girl?  
**McGee**: No- it's none of your business.  
**Tony**: If the Probie was probing last night, I demand details.


	19. Magen David

_**A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

"_Hayom Yom Holedet,  
Hayom Yom Holedet,  
Hayom Yom Holedet le Penina._

_Chag la sameach,  
v'zer la pore'ach,  
Hayom yom Holedet le Penina_!" Ziva sang, as she balanced the cake in one hand.

Ziva placed the cake on the table, and, in one breath, Penina blew the candles out.

"Make a wish!" Tony reminded her, so she did, but she wasn't going to tell anyone what it was.

The cake was large, and circular. In the middle it read:

_Yom Holedet 15 Sameach, __**Penina**__!_

_24__th__ Lyyar_

There were pictures in icing covering the cake. There was one which was of Tony, Ziva and Penina on holiday in Florida, on the beach. Ziva and Penina were in bikinis, while Tony was in surfer shorts. There was a shot of Ziva and Penina standing next to a mini statue of Liberty (which was in JFK airport) waving Israeli flags. There was a photo of Penina and Côté, one of Penina, Côté, Alejandro and Antonio, one of Penina, Côté and Taylor, one of Penina and Alejandro, one of Ziva, Côté and Penina, and one of Tony and Penina from her party.

Penina wondered how they had managed to get the photos on the cake before the evening, but then she realized that this was probably why Tony had left after the party and then returned again two hours later, when Ziva and Penina were at home alone.

She had wanted her 15th birthday dinner, her first birthday dinner in America, to be with Ziva and Tony.

She had had a slumber party with Côté and Taylor the week before, so she hadn't missed out on anything.

Ziva cut a slice of cake for Penina (which was mostly the photo of all three of them in Florida), a slice for Tony and a slice for herself.

They had just eaten their way through a huge feast of Chinese take-out, which included:

Chicken Chow Mein  
Crab Rangoon  
Chicken Fried Rice  
Egg Rolls

Sweet and Sour Pork

Sesame Chicken  
Peking Duck  
Wonton Soup

General Tso's Chicken  
Kung Pao Chicken

Fondue Chinoise  
Jiaozi Dumplings  
Sweet and Sour Chicken with Lemon  
Moo Goo Gai Pan  
Steamed Bun Dough  
Char Siu Bao  
Szechuan Chicken  
Honey Walnut Prawns  
Vegetable Chow Mein  
Pork Chop Suey  
Stir-fried Baby Bok Choy

Chicken Chop Suey

Sweet and Sour Pork Balls

Egg Fried Rice

It had been a lot of food.

Penina bit off the end of her cake, and laughed at Tony's attempt to fit it all in his mouth at once. She Gibbs-slapped him.

"Not at the table, DiNozzo." She said, imitating Gibbs' voice. Tony almost choked on his cake. He finished his mouthful.

"Now that is freaky." He said, in reply to Penina's Gibbs imitation. Penina grinned.

Ziva observed the pair, smiling. She still couldn't get used to the fact that Gibbs and Jenny were engaged, Jenny was pregnant, McGee was dating Abby, and she was dating Tony. Rule Twelve had pretty much expired now.

Once they had finished as much cake as they could, Ziva stood up and went to wash up the plates. Penina went to follow, but Tony caught her arm.

"Can I talk to you a moment?" He asked, and she shrugged and sat back down. Ziva wondered what he wanted to speak to her about, but she refrained from listening at the door.

"I want to ask Ziva something later…" Tony began.

"Why are you talking to me then?" Penina asked, confused.

"I want your permission…" Tony said.

"To talk to Ziva?" Penina asked, confused.

Tony explained the situation and Penina's eyes grew wide.

"Really? Awesome! You totally have my permission!" She grinned, and Tony relaxed. He ruffled her hair and she smacked his hand away. He laughed.

"Thanks." Penina got up and went to help Ziva in the kitchen.

"What did Tony want?" Ziva asked.

"He was just asking me if I liked my day." Penina made-up a reply quickly. She didn't know if Ziva had fallen for it or not.

With Penina helping, the washing up was quickly completed, and they returned and went to join Tony in the living room. Penina poked his leg with her toe.

"Lazy so-and-so." She joked. He smirked.

"Yup." He grinned, and Penina collapsed onto the couch next to him. Ziva sat on his other side. Tony put his arms around their shoulders. "Ah, what a way to spend an evening. Sitting with the two most beautiful girls-"

Ziva poked him in the side.

"Women," Tony corrected himself, "in the world."

"Aw, how sweet." Penina chuckled.

"Presents!" Ziva exclaimed, and jumped up to fetch the pile of birthday presents. She walked back in, somehow balancing the huge pile. She put them down carefully on the floor.

"So many to choose from…" Penina's hands dithered over the pile, before she just looked away and picked one randomly.

"To Penina, from Jesse." She meticulously opened the present, and laid out the paper. It might have some use later. Inside was a jewelry set; a bracelet, necklace and keyring, with her name written in beads. But it wasn't "PENINA" that it read, it read פאֶנאִנאֲ. She wondered how he had found out how to spell her name. Maybe the people who made the jewelry did it for him. She didn't know, but she liked it. It was a touching thought.

She picked up another.

"Dear Penny. Yom Holedet Sameach! Côté." She read off the tag attached to the present, before carefully tearing the wrapping paper from the present.

Opening the box under the paper, she revealed the black iPod alarm clock, and:

"A cigarette?" Penina picked the thing out from the box and held it up to the light.

"I knew she was a bad influence." Tony laughed; he knew exactly what it was. He plucked it out of Penina's hand.

"Hey!" She protested, before she realized that Tony was unscrewing the cigarette.

"Lip gloss." He said, removing the end. He then re-screwed on that end and unscrewed the other end. "Concealer."

"Woah! That's awesome!" Penina grabbed the make-up cigarette back and grinned. "That's so cool."

She carefully placed the iPod alarm clock and the cigarette back in the box and pushed it into position next to the jewelry. Ziva was writing down what Penina had gotten and who it was from. She was planning to make her write thank-you notes later.

"To Penny. Have a great day! Tim." She read the label of the next present. She undid the scarlet ribbons and opened the small box. Inside was what looked like a lighter with an eagle on it, and an 'Irregular IQ Cube.'

"A lighter?" Tony asked skeptically.

"A microphone and a video camera?" Ziva asked.

"Both!" Penina exclaimed. "That's really awesome! Ah, I love gadgets."

She gently laid both back in the box and picked out another present.

"Dear Penina, from Uncle Gibbs and Auntie Jenny." She gently peeled off the rapping paper. Inside was a slim silver box, with "Name a Star" engraved on it. She smiled. What could she name it?

"That pretty cool." Tony said, and Penina had to agree. "What will you call your star?"

"I don't know…" Penina replied. "Maybe… Ti-… Oh I don't know."

She wanted to use the nickname that Abby had used for Tony and Ziva, but she thought she would wait to tell them that.

Twenty minutes later, there were three presents left to open. She decided to open Alejandro's.

"Le Penina, m'Alejandro." She read. It was nice that he'd written it in (allowably transliterated) Hebrew.

Inside was the prettiest necklace she thought she had ever seen.

It was a 14k white gold, diamond Star of David attached to a delicate silver chain. She handed it to Tony.

"Can you put it on me, please?" She asked, and Tony obligingly clipped it round her neck. The Magen David sat just under the hollow at the base of her neck.

"It's beautiful." Ziva informed her, and Penina smiled. She certainly loved it.

She went on to unwrap the rest of her presents.

Tony had bought her a "ZPen;" A pen that you clipped onto a piece of paper and it recorded all your writing and drawing and downloaded it to a USB that you could then transfer to your computer.

"It can then leave it in your handwriting, or transform it to plain text. For you, the budding writer." Tony smiled, and Penina leaned over and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you!" She grinned.

Finally, she opened Ziva's present for her.

Inside there was a stack of books, with a small box on top. She looked at the books first. There was "The Escape" by Robert Muchamore, "Strike Back" by Chris Ryan, a beautifully bound Torah with gold-edged pages and the Haketav Vehakabbalah by Rabbi Yaakov Tzevi Mecklenburg. There was also a t-shirt under the books with "Mossad" written on it, and the sign on Mossad. Penina grinned.

Then she opened the little box and gasped.

There was a sterling silver ring with the Magen David on it.

On the inside of the band was written:

דָוִד פאֶנאִנאֲ

אלוהים הוא חלק של עמו; ג 'ייקוב הוא הרבה הירושה שלו

**_In English: _****_Penina David_**

**_For God's portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance._**

"_Toda raba, Ima!_" Penina slid the ring onto her finger and pulled Ziva into a hug. "_Toda, toda, toda, toda!_"

"**Thank you so much, Mom!" … "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"**

Ziva laughed and hugged Penina back.

"But I think Tony had something he would like to ask you now, Ima." Penina informed Ziva, seriously.

"Tony?" Ziva asked, wondering what he wanted. Tony stood up and stood in front of Ziva. He then knelt down on one knee.

"Ziva David, would you do the honor of marrying me?"

_**

* * *

A/N: Ooh!! Look what happened! TIVA! What will Ziva say? Please review!!**_


	20. Surprises

_**A/N: Sorry for not updating for so long! And on such a cliff-hanger!!! Do you forgive me?**_

_**Please read and review!**_

_**I saw Designated Target tonight! It is awesome!**_

* * *

Ziva stared at Tony and his pleading eyes stared back.

She knew what she wanted to say… but could she?

She was about to wonder whether her father would approve when she realized that it was a matter that she would never have to worry about again. She answered with the one word that would change all three lives for ever.

"Yes." As Tony slipped the ring onto Ziva's finger, Penina smiled at her surprised but happy expression and Tony's relieved and happy face. Finally, she would have the father that she wanted. The only guy who would ever be right for her mom.

She rolled her eyes and turned her back on the pair when they kissed. How ever happy she was about them getting engaged, she wasn't about to stand and watch them kiss.

"Penny?" Ziva asked, looking over to her daughter. "Are you okay?"

Penina turned round and grinned.

"Perfect!" She ran over and pulled Tony and Ziva into a hug. "Just perfect!"

Tony ruffled Penina's hair affectionately.

"Thanks." He whispered into her ear, but Ziva overheard.

"You knew?" She asked Penina, who laughed.

"Yeah! He is a right gentleman you know." Ziva laughed.

"Well… thank you!" She exclaimed.

"Can I phone Abs? Please? And Alejandro and Antonio and Taylor and everyone!" Penina was practically bouncing up and down. Ziva chuckled and passed Penina her cell phone.

"Of course." Tony sat down next to Ziva on the couch as Penina ran out to sit on the stairs and phone around and tell people the news.

"That was… unexpected." Ziva began. Tony laughed.

"I often do unexpected things." Tony grinned.

"So, you asked Penina's permission, yes?" Ziva asked. Tony nodded.

"It is her day after all. She told me that if I did it would make her day perfect." Ziva smiled, and suddenly felt like she wanted to cry 'happy tears.'

"Abs wants to speak to you!" Penina waved the cell phone in Ziva's face. Ziva took it off of her.

"Hello?" She moved the cell phone away from her ear. Tony and Penina could hear what Abby was saying, and she wasn't even on speakerphone.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god I can't even believe that you guys are getting married! That is so amazing who proposed to who? When's the date? Who are your bridesmaids going to be? I can't wait! Ziva? Hello?" Abby stopped when she realized that Ziva hadn't said anything.

"Yes, hello, Abby." Ziva replied, trying not to laugh. She tried to remember every question Abby had asked. "Tony proposed to me, I do not know and I do not know."

"I can't believe it! This is so amazing! You have to set a date soon! And we so have to go dress shopping! And Penina can come too! Oh my god, I just can't believe it!" Ziva couldn't help herself; she just burst out laughing. Then Abby began to laugh, and then Tony and Penina too.

"What are you laughing at?" Ziva heard McGee ask Abby.

"Me!" Abby exclaimed, turning and kissing McGee on the cheek. She turned back to the phone. "Bye Ziva! I have to go!"

"Bye Abby." Ziva replied, but Abby had already put the phone down.

"That was abrupt." Tony commented.

"I think she and McGee had something much better to do." Ziva replied, chuckling to herself.

"The Probie shalt be probing tonight, I see." Tony said, in a posh English accent.

"Tony." Ziva warned. "Underage person here!"

"I know what you two are talking about." Penina rolled her eyes. "Anyone would think I am only ten years old."

Tony gave Penina a one-armed hug.

"See? My Probie-san understands." Penina jabbed him in the side.

"I am no Probie!" She protested. Tony chuckled and messed up her hair, which ended up with him on the floor, with Penina's foot on his stomach. "Surrender?"

"I surrender!" Tony gasped, winded from being slammed to the floor.

"Stop killing each other." Ziva said absentmindedly.

"Hey, Zee, I just thought about something." Tony said, standing up and brushing his clothing down.

"Yes?" Ziva asked interestedly.

"You get to tell Gibbs!" Tony burst out laughing. Ziva glared at him and grabbed the phone.

"Lucky me." She said dryly, keying in the familiar phone number. It rang one time before it was answered.

"Yeah, Gibbs." She heard the familiar voice.

"It is Ziva." Ziva said.

"I know that, David, now what's your point?" Gibbs said. He could feel Jenny's hand on his hip and wanted to get back to what they'd been doing before.

"Tony and I have something to tell you…" Ziva began but Gibbs interrupted.

"Engaged? Pregnant?" Ziva raised her eyebrows.

"The former." She replied. Jenny noticed a smile slowly spread across Gibbs' face.

"Good for you, David. I knew you'd catch him someday." Gibbs told the Israeli agent he had become fond of over the years.

"You did?" Ziva asked. Gibbs laughed.

"I hoped, at least. Congratulations anyway. But, I still expect for you both to be at work on time tomorrow, whatever happens tonight."

"Why Gibbs, what on earth would happen tonight?" She asked innocently, and heard Gibbs chuckle. Then she heard another sound, a laugh she recognized. "Is that Jenny?"

"Yes. Jenny's here. Did you want to speak with her?" He said, trying to keep cool, even though Jenny had slipped her hands up his shirt.

"Oh, no. I'm sure you can pass on the news." Ziva said, smiling mischievously.

"Right, then. Good night, Agent David. Say Yom Huledet Sameach to Penina for… us." Gibbs said.

"Shalom, Gibbs." Ziva put the phone down.

"So?" Tony prompted. Ziva teased him for a second by pretending to think about whether she should say anything or not.

"Well… He said congratulations. He also said that he was sure I would 'catch' you some day. He said not to be late, whatever happens tonight." She paused before adding, "Oh, and he was with Jenny, and they sounded like they were having… fun."

"Director Shepard?" Tony asked, surprised.

"Sounded like it is going to be an interesting night for Gibbs and Jenny as well." Ziva said, grinning.

"Jenny and Jethro!" Penina exclaimed. "That is cute."

Ziva and Tony exchanged a glance. Did she know?

"Penny, honey." Tony began.

"Yes…?" Penina said warily.

"We have some news about Jenny and Gibbs as well." Ziva added.

"Yes…?" Penina prompted them.

"Well…" Tony said, but Ziva completed his sentence.

"Jenny is pregnant." Penina gasped, and then grinned.

"Really? That is so awesome! And also, do you know how equally cute and sickening it is that you end each other's sentences?" Penina raised one eyebrow.

Tony and Ziva looked at each other, and then at Penina.

Then they all burst out laughing.

_**

* * *

**_

A/N: I finally updated! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please decide what you want me to do; write a chapter about the wedding, the Jibbs baby (and any… other babies… that I have been… debating about.) etc, whether I should right an epilogue of flashbacks (see Broken chapter 27 if you do not know what I mean, or whether I should end here.

_**Please answer when you**__** review!!!!**_


	21. And In The End

_**A/N: NEWSFLASH! I actually updated! OH MY GOD!**_

_**If I fail my Geography and RS exams I'm blaming you lot =] I did this instead of revision… heh.**_

_**I hope you enjoy this chapter! It is the final chapter!**_

* * *

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Abby jumped up and down while hugging Tony and Ziva.

"Can't… breathe!" Tony gasped, trying to pull away from Abby's death grip.

"Oops…" Abby let go for a second, before grabbing hold of them again. "But oh MY GOD!!!!"

"Abby!" McGee called. "Leave the happy couple alone for a while."

"Sorry." Abby apologized, still grinning.

"So, what do you think of it?" McGee asked Penina, as they took the elevator down to the autopsy lab.

"I think it is excellent." Penina smiled. "Ima is happy, and I now have an Aba."

"I hear Tony asked you first." McGee said, surprised that DiNozzo would bother.

"Yes, he did. It was very cordial of him to request my permission. Almost as if I was Ziv- … Ima's father!" Penina grinned and McGee chuckled. The lift doors opened and they headed for where they could see Ducky talking to Palmer.

"Penina, my dear." Ducky smiled when he saw the teenage girl in the doorway. "And Timothy. What can I do for you?"

Penina glanced and McGee, who nodded.

"Ziva and Tony are getting married! And…" She glanced at McGee. Did he know?

"Jenny… and Gibbs…" He hinted, and she grinned. He did know, after all.

"And Jenny's pregnant!" She finished.

"She's beginning to sound like Abby." Ducky commented, his eyebrows raised, and a smile on his lips. "That is excellent news to hear."

"Tony and Ziva? You mean, Tony's actually marrying someone?" Palmer exclaimed, surprised.

"I know." McGee agreed. Penina glared at them both.

"Be nice! Aba just has… commitment issues." Her steely eyed glare transfixed on McGee and Palmer.

"I think… never mind." Palmer stuttered.

"We didn't mean…" McGee began, before giving up under the heat of Penina's stare.

"Well, I am glad that is all settled then." Penina quit on the glare, and returned to her usual happy and smiley expression. She turned on her heel, and disappeared back to the elevator. McGee shrugged, before hurrying after the girl.

"Tony… married…" Palmer sat down on the cold metal of an autopsy table and spoke to no one in particular.

"Ziva is a very special person." Ducky commented.

"That she is." Palmer's eyes began glazing over and Ducky poked him, hard.

"Bring your thoughts back to work, Jimmy." He advised, with a small smile.

"Of course." Palmer jumped off the table. "But honestly… DiNozzo… married…"

*

Penina turned to the right and the left to see her reflection on both sides.

"Wow." She commented.

"My thoughts exactly." Abby agreed on Penina's thoughts on the dresses they wore.

They were both wearing strapless scarlet dresses. Penina's was in a princess style, whereas Abby's was only knee-length.

"MySpace!" Abby exclaimed, drawing out a camera from somewhere which Penina tried not to dwell on. She pulled Penina in and took some photos. "Awesome."

"Wow." Penina said again.

"What?" Abby turned around and her draw dropped. "Wow."

"Is it okay?" Ziva asked, as she turned every which way. Her dress was in the same style as Penina's, only in a blue color. It had strips of scarlet in the skirt that you could see when she walked.

"It is amazing!" Penina ran and hugged Ziva. "You look beautiful!"

"Thank you, Penny." Ziva smiled and kissed her daughter/sister on the forehead. "You do too."

She turned to Abby. "And you!"

"You look amazing Ziva!" Abby hugged her best friend tightly. "I can't believe today is the day!"

"I guess it is…" Ziva agreed, smiling. She hadn't been able to budge the bright smile since she had woken up.

*

"Can't believe it's you before me, Tony." McGee commented, lounging on the couch in Gibbs' apartment.

"Glad we found a woman who could get you and keep you." Gibbs added, straightening Tony's tie. "I have to be off in… well, now in fact. You two will be alright without me? No fighting?"

"No Gibbs." Tony and McGee said in unison.

"Good." Gibbs stood up and left the pair. They glanced at each, at the clock and then back at each other.

"We have ten minutes. Basement?" McGee asked, getting up. Tony jumped up.

"Let's go see how he got that boat out." Tony grinned, and the troublesome twosome ran off to study Gibbs' boat removing techniques.

*

Tony stood at the altar, a nervous smile on his face. _What the hell am I doing? Marriage?!_ He began to have second thoughts, but then the music began.

And he saw Ziva.

And knew he never made a mistake.

She had her hand tucked into the crook of Gibbs' elbow, Abby and Penina walking behind holding bouquets of red and blue roses. The small congregation all breathed a soft "wow" at the bride.

Jenny smiled and caught Gibbs' eye as he handed Ziva over to Tony.

"Will you take Anthony DiNozzo to be your husband for as long as you live and beyond?" They had had the vows changed to encompass both religions and their views.

"I do." Ziva smiled.

"Will you take Ziva David to be your wife for as long as you live and beyond?"

"I do." Tony smiled also.

"You may now kiss your bride." Tony lifted Ziva's face to kiss and kissed her lightly on the lips.

*

"Penina's coming with us." Abby informed Tony and Ziva at the reception.

"Um, okay?" Ziva said.

"We decided that you and Tony might have business to do." Penina gagged and walked off to go speak to Jenny. Abby and Ziva laughed.

"Has she got a boyfriend yet?" Abby questioned Ziva.

"Alejandro." Ziva smiled and looked at Penina, who was now in conversation with Jenny.

"Cute!" Abby exclaimed, grinning.

*

Eight months later…

"OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!" Ziva held the phone about half a meter away from her ear as Abby shouted down the phone. "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!"

"What?" Ziva asked, hoping it was safe to put the phone near her ear once again.

"It's Jenny!" Abby exclaimed.

"What about her?" Ziva asked, excited and worried simultaneously.

"She's had her baby!" Abby shouted in glee.

"Oh my gosh, when?" Ziva gasped.

"06:36." Abby recited the information Gibbs had given her over the phone.

"Have they got a name yet?" Ziva asked.

"Kelly-Anne."

*

Penina sat on the floor, her head on Alejandro's legs and Kelly-Anne in her lap, singing the now one-year old baby to sleep.

They had discovered the song that sent Kelly-Anne, or Kassie, as she was nicknamed, when Kelly-Anne was crying one night and Penina started to sing a song that she was listening to on her iPod. And ever since?

"Why would you wanna break a perfectly good heart? Why would you wanna take our love and tear it all apart, now?" Penina sung, whilst rocking Kassie to sleep.

_**

* * *

A/N: Was that worth waiting for? Probably not, but hey, whatever.**_

_**Please review! Feel free to read some of my other NCIS stories, such as "Going Mental" "Runaway" and "Differences." **_

_**Thank you all for following my story! I love you all!**_

_**Thanks!!!!**_

_PS: Now my German teacher thinks I have a dog called Jethro and my middle name is Ziva. We had to write a letter to someone (I wrote to Abby) in our German exam. Heh._


End file.
